3-Member c’ttee to investigate UTAG’s allegation against GTEC’s boss, deputy

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) allegations against the Director General and Deputy Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.

The committee is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, and is composed of the Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Professor George K.T Oduro, and the Board Chairman of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Mahama Duweijua.

Concerns

A statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Minister of Education, Hashmin Mohammed, said the Ministry of Education had taken note of the concerns raised by UTAG at their recent press conference.

“To ensure informed decision on UTAG's concerns, the Minister of Education has constituted a three-member committee to investigate UTAG's allegations and related matters and make appropriate recommendation for the consideration of President John Dramani Mahama,” it emphasised.

In the light of the development, the ministry appealed to all parties concerned to extend their full cooperation to the committee as it carried out such important assignment.

“We remain committed to constructive dialogue and to resolving all outstanding issues in the best interest of tertiary education in Ghana,” it said.

Petition

At a press conference last Monday, UTAG said the association had already petitioned the Presidency on February 17, 2026, over what it described as persistent regulatory overreach, unilateral directives and a coercive administrative posture by the current leadership of GTEC.

It said nearly two months after the submission of the petition, there had been no acknowledgement from the Presidency, a situation UTAG described as unfortunate and worrying.

“UTAG's petition for the removal of the leadership of GTEC is not a move against regulation per se. Rather, UTAG objects to regulatory overreach exercised without consultative leadership, resulting in a system that is more command-and-control than facilitative and more centralised than subsidiarity-based,” the President of UTAG, Prof. Vera Ogeh Fiador, said.

Among other things, she alleged that the actions of GTEC’s leadership were undermining university autonomy, academic freedom, staff welfare and the overall stability and competitiveness of public universities in the country.

Governance

The association accused GTEC of interfering in the internal governance of universities, including the usurpation of powers of governing councils and academic boards and the imposition of prior approval requirements for appointments and post-retirement engagements.

UTAG also cited the overriding of legitimate decisions taken by university councils as well as threats to withdraw accreditation and subventions as coercive tools, as examples of governance failures within the commission.