The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has imposed sweeping sanctions on the University of Cape Coast (UCC), cutting off all government-related support and designating the institution as “non-existent” on its official portal.
In a statement issued on Monday, GTEC announced that it had suspended all major engagements with UCC after the university failed to comply with directives concerning the tenure of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong.
The September 22 decision follows UCC’s alleged disregard of a High Court injunction issued on October 8, 2024, which barred the Governing Council from taking any action regarding Prof. Boampong’s appointment.
Despite the injunction and despite having reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, Prof. Boampong has reportedly remained in office.
As a result, GTEC has frozen the processing of UCC’s programme accreditation, government salary subventions, GETFund disbursements, research and book allowances, post-retirement contracts, financial clearance for recruitment, and other administrative requests.
The directive, signed by Prof. Augustine Ocloo, Acting Deputy Director-General of GTEC, will remain in force until UCC demonstrates full compliance with the Commission’s orders.
GTEC had earlier directed Prof. Boampong to vacate his position, arguing that the Vice-Chancellor role is a public office under Section 7(1) of the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278).
By Article 199(1) of the 1992 Constitution, all public officers are required to retire at 60.
The Commission also cited UCC’s own statutes, which limit a Vice-Chancellor’s term to four years, renewable for an additional three years only if the individual has not exceeded the retirement age.
Pending the resolution of the ongoing case before the Cape Coast High Court, GTEC has appointed the university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, to serve as Acting Vice-Chancellor.
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