The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana, University of Ghana Branch (UTAG-UG), has accused the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) of exceeding its regulatory mandate by seeking to recruit academic faculty for public higher education institutions.
In a statement dated September 9, 2026, UTAG-UG said the move threatened academic freedom and the institutional autonomy of public universities.
The association said it had taken note of an advertisement published by GTEC inviting applicants with terminal degrees to fill academic positions in public higher education institutions, including the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Wa, technical universities and colleges of education.
According to UTAG-UG, the advertisement directs interested applicants to submit soft-copy application letters, curriculum vitae and certificates to Dr Francis Kwabena Afedoh by email by September 30, 2026.
The association said although the initiative could be viewed as an attempt by the regulator to assist institutions facing challenges in recruiting faculty, it raised concerns about possible political interference in the recruitment and governance of public universities.
UTAG-UG argued that GTEC could recruit individuals it described as having government loyalties or being government cronies, who could subsequently be insulated from the accountability mechanisms of the institutions where they work.
It said such an arrangement could undermine the independence universities require to carry out their teaching and research mandates.
The association described the move as an “unprecedented and dangerous overreach” into institutional self-governance and said it violated constitutional guarantees of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
It also questioned GTEC’s capacity to conduct recruitment across different academic disciplines, arguing that the Commission lacked the subject-specific expertise required to undertake the task effectively.
UTAG-UG said the arrangement placed GTEC in the position of being “both a player and a referee”.
Concerns over unpaid allowances
UTAG-UG also criticised GTEC over what it described as its failure to address issues affecting the quality of higher education, including the remuneration of academic staff.
The association said university campuses were experiencing growing tension, with industrial action being discussed over the non-payment of this year’s Book and Research Allowance (BRA) and outstanding promotion arrears.
It questioned why GTEC was pursuing the recruitment initiative while, in its view, remaining silent on those issues.
UTAG-UG also accused the current GTEC leadership of expanding its control over public universities beyond what the association considers to be the Commission’s regulatory mandate.
The association linked the development to what it described as remnants of the Public Universities Bill (PUB), which it said was overwhelmingly rejected by UTAG and would continue to be opposed whenever similar proposals emerged.
Call on government
UTAG-UG has called on the government to protect academic freedom and institutional autonomy by calling GTEC to order.
It said public higher education institutions already had the capacity and governance structures to determine the candidates best suited for academic positions.
The association therefore insisted that GTEC’s regulatory powers should not extend to the micromanagement of public higher education institutions and warned that any effort to expand the Commission’s reach would be strongly resisted.
The statement was signed by the President of UTAG-UG, Dr Jerry Joe Harrison, and the Secretary, Dr Godfred B. Hagan.
