UCC Vice-Chancellor controversy: GTEC takes punitive measures against UCC
The controversy between the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof Johnson Nyarko Boampong, over his compulsory retirement age has taken a different twist.
The GTEC has decided that with immediate effect, it would not process any request from the UCC in respect of accreditation, salaries (government subventions), GETFund support, Book and Research Allowances, Post Retirement Contracts, Financial Clearance for Recruitment and any other related requests.
A letter from the GTEC to the UCC, sighted by the Daily Graphic said, “GTEC would, with immediate effect, not process any request from the university, “in respect of the following until there is full compliance with the directive and evidence of compliance is furnished to the Commission.
“Until there is full compliance with the directive for the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, to proceed on compulsory retirement, it will not process any request from UCC,” the letter signed and issued by the Deputy Director-General of the commission, Prof Augustine Ocloo, said.
Necessity
The letter, dated September 22, 2025, addressed to the Registrar of the UCC, referencing an earlier directive dated September 19, 2025, indicated it was compelled to issue the new directive due to the fact that the Governing Council of the university had been restrained by an injunction of the High Court, Cape Coast, since October 8, 2024, from taking any action on Prof. Boampong's appointment as Vice-Chancellor.
The latest directives follows the decision of Prof. Boampong to disregard GTEC's directive instructing him to proceed on retirement.
Following the confusion at the UCC over Prof. Boampong's contract extension and developments in relation to his retirement age, GTEC, earlier last week in a letter dated September 19, 2025 and addressed to Prof. Boampong, directed that the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, should step in to act in the interim.
In that letter, the GTEC also requested that the Governing Council of the university postponed the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor until the conclusion of a high court case regarding the retirement age of Prof. Boampong and the contract extension.
Provision of 1992 Constitution
The letter stated that GTEC’s move followed information that Prof. Boampong was still in office as Vice-Chancellor of the university, post the compulsory retirement age of 60 years, contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
It stated, "again, the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, being an office established under Section 7(1) of the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278) is a public office under the meaning and intendment of Article 199(1), hence anyone acting in the office of the Vice-Chancellor is presumptively mandated to proceed on compulsory retirement upon attaining 60 years."
Regarding the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, it said, Statute 8.2 of the University of Cape Coast Statutes 2016 states that: "The Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for an initial term of four years.
The appointment may be renewed for a further term of up to three years if that is not beyond the statutory retiring age of 60."
The letter further indicated that, "stemming from the above stated laws, and with the Commission's regulatory mandate enshrined in section 7 of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, is to act in the interim.
It said the Commission was minded by a suit at the High Court, Cape Coast, surrounding the issue, and directed that, due to the pending suit, “the Chairman of the Governing Council of UCC, who is herein copied, is to STAY action on the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor until final determination of the case at the High Court, Cape Coast.”
Acknowledgement
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Registrar of the university, Gideon Enoch Abbeyquaye, has acknowledged the directive of GTEC in a letter dated September 22, 2025.
The letter, addressed to the Ag VC, Pro-VC, Provosts, Directors, Deans and Heads of Department, also copied the Minister of Education, Director-General of GTEC, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, the Chancellor of UCC and the Council Chairman of the university to the directives by the GTEC.
Response from lawyers
However, through a letter dated September 19, 2025, written by his lawyers in response to the GTEC directive, Prof Boampong indicated he "would ignore the said letter and continue to act in office as directed by the University Statutes and in accordance with the orders of the court."
In a seven-bullet point letter, signed by Lawyer for the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Dennis Adjei Dwomoh, addressed to GTEC and copied to Prof Ocloo, said, “we have the directions of our client and, as officers of the court, respectfully demand you withdraw your letter dated 19th September 2025 and respect the orders of the court, failing which we have the firm instructions of our client to take the necessary steps to uphold the sanctity of the court.”
