The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) has commended Parliament and the Executive arm of the government for suspending the Public University Bill (PUB).
The suspension was announced by the Minister of State in charge of tertiary education, Professor Kwesi Yankah on 23 October 2020.
A statement issued by the UG-UTAG on 24 October 2020, reiterated that “the PUB is unconstitutional, unnecessary and deeply harmful to the integrity of our public universities”, adding that, “it goes against the democratic credentials of which we are rightly proud as a country.”
The group was grateful for the suspension of the PUB and urged the government to withdrawn it.
“It is our expectation that after careful consideration of the many reasoned arguments presented against the PUB, the government will see it fit to withdraw this bill that public universities have not asked for and do not need and, instead, will work meaningfully with public universities to address the actual challenges we face in the delivery of quality education and research.
“We are, once again, grateful to the government and parliament for suspending the controversial PUB and urge that they go further to completely withdraw it,” the statement added.
Read the full statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
UG-UTAG
Response to Suspension of Public University Bill
24 October 2020
1. The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) commend the Executive and Parliament for suspending the Public University Bill (PUB), as was announced by the Minister of State in charge of tertiary education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, in a news report on 23 October 2020.
2. As we have maintained and reiterated in a press conference on 16 September 2020–the PUB is unconstitutional, unnecessary and deeply harmful to the integrity of our public universities. Moreover, it goes against the democratic credentials of which we are rightly proud as a country.
3. UG-UTAG is of the firm conviction that the challenges confronting public universities in Ghana can be addressed through existing policies and laws rather than through new legislation that expand the frontiers of Executive power in profoundly undemocratic ways.
4. We are gratified that the government has heard the public outcry against the bill from multiple and diverse constituents, including academics, students, parents and non-governmental organizations in the country. Concerns about the PUB have also been expressed by international bodies such as Scholars at Risk and the UN Special Rapporteurs for the right to education and freedom of expression, both of which have formally communicated to the President of Ghana their strong reservations about the bill.
5. It is our expectation that, after careful consideration of the many reasoned arguments presented against the PUB, the government will see it fit to withdraw this bill that public universities have not asked for and do not need and, instead, will work meaningfully with public universities to address the actual challenges we face in the delivery of quality education and research.
6. We are once again grateful to Government and Parliament for suspending the controversial PUB and urge that they go further to completely withdraw it.