UEW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mawutor Avoke Ordered To Step Aside

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Mawutor Avoke and the Chief  Finance Officer of the University of Education, Winneba, have been ordered to step aside by the Winneba High Court pending the final determination of the case filed against them.The order follows a relief been sought by Mr. Supi Kofi Kwayera praying the court to declare their continuous stay in office as null and void.According to lawyer for the complaint, Alexander Afenyo Markins the two were operating under a University Council whose mandate had expired and prayed the court to place an interlocutory injunction on their activities.The court  Presided over by His Lordship George Ato Mills-Graves after considering arguments from both sides granted the relief which is part of the reliefs been sought by the plaintiff and also slapped a GHC4,000 cost against the university.After the ruling, Lawyer for the plaintiff, Alexander Afenyo Markins told journalists that the ruling is in the interest of rule of law as it will guide future governments in the discharge of their constitutionally mandated duties.He commended UTAG for adding their voice to the fight with their call on government to as a matter of urgency reconstitute governing councils in the interest of academic work in the various universities“In future, governments would not unduly abdicate their responsibility in terms of what they are supposed to ensure it is done. Governing council for every public institution is key.“I am happy that today, UTAG has found it feet to call on government to reconstitute governing councils with the view if this is not done, it will affect academic work. I agree with UTAG it’s all good for our rule of law, it is for us to develop our laws and it is nothing personal.”Earlier on Monday, the court had thrown out a preliminary legal objection filed by the University describing the lawsuit as incompetent and also  argued that the complaint had no locus in initiating the action because he had failed to demonstrate that he had any personal interest or he would suffer any personal injuries by any action by the UEW.Background Mr Supi Kofi Kwayera, a former Assembly Member for Donkoryiem, in Winneba  in May this year filed a suit challenging the continuous stay in office of the Governing Council of UEW as their two two-year terms had expired in November 2013.Mr Supi argued that their continuous stay in office was in contradiction to Section 8 of the University of Education, Winneba Act (Act 672).The suit also challenged the appointment of certain officers such as the Vice- Chancellor, the Registrar and the Chief Finance Officer.Call our Editor on 0209391902 or click here and inform us via Whatsapp. You could equally email your stories or articles to [email protected] and we’ll surely put them online