Sakyi Nketsiah elected new UEW UTAG President

A Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the Department of History, Mr Eric Sakyi Nketsiah has been elected the new University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Local Chapter President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).

He polled 178 votes, representing 58.9 per cent to beat the incumbent, Dr Frimpong Kaakyire Duku, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Graphic Design, who secured 124 votes representing 41.1 per cent.

The Vice President position was a battle between Dr Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Early Childhood Education, and Dr Mavis Amo-Mensah of the Department of Communication and Media Studies. Dr Amoh-Mensah had 175 votes representing 57.8 percent to defeat Dr Jinapor Abdulai who managed 128 votes representing 42.2 percent.

Mr Pascal Kpodo, a Senior Lecturer at the Ewe Department had 180 votes representing 59.4 percent to win the position of secretary while his closest contender, Mr Ali Mohammed, a Lecturer at the Mathematics had 123 votes representing 40.6 percent.

The position of treasurer was won with 10 votes by Dr Ebenezer Teye Amanor-Lartey, a Lecturer at the Political Science Department after securing 157 votes representing 51.6 percent with his challenger, Mrs Elizabeth Lani Ashong of the Department of Home Economics polling 147 votes representing 48.4 percent.

Focus on achieving vision

In an interview with the Daily Graphic after his victory, Mr Sakyi Nketsiah said that his victory is for the entire UTAG members of the university and that the association would focus towards achieving its vision among the members.

He noted that the aftermath of the election had set the tone for reconciliation on all the issues that had happened plagued the university in the past few years, especially at the front of leadership of UTAG.

He called on all the members to come on board towards rebuilding the association in a manner that decisions of the leadership would generally inure to the benefit of the majority of the members.

Rally support

He added that the new leadership would rally support to ensure progressive development of the association, saying that “we have come in to primarily unify UTAG front and pay increased attention to the welfare of the members”.

“We will provide transparent and humble leadership and work closely with management and the governing council of the university towards the ultimate transformation of UEW” he noted.

He stressed that “we are going to work to establish a closer collaboration not just among members of UTAG but with the rank and file and other stakeholders of the university for the benefit of all”.