The High Court in Winneba has ordered the Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Mawutor Avoke and the School’s Finance Officer to both step aside until the final determination of a case brought against the two.
This was part of a ruling on an interlocutory injunction sought by the plaintiff , Supi Kofi Kwayera against the Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer.
The plaintiff in a writ filed in court said that the two were operating under the institution’s defunct governing council and hence must be reconstituted.
The court presided over by His Lordship, Justice George Atto Mills-Graves awarded an amount of GHS4,000 against the Ist Defendant.
The court also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Ministry of Education to reconstitute the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba.
Background
In a 23rd May 2017 writ issued, the plaintiff adduced that in November 2009, a Governing Council of the 1st Respondent (University of Education, Winneba) constituted. The said Council was to carry out its functions until its mandate lapsed after two years.
It noted that after the end of the two years, the tenure of the Governing Council was further renewed for two years certain thus its mandate expired in November 2013.
However, the 2nd Respondent (the Ministry of Education) failed to constitute a new Governing Council for the 1st Respondent after the mandate of the said Governing Council had lapsed, but rather allowed and permitted the defunct Governing Council which had no mandate whatsoever to continue the functions of a properly constituted Governing Council as if same had been properly constituted.
This Mr. Kwayera finds as unlawful and hence his legal action against the University of Education, Winneba.
However, before the substantive claims are looked into, the University, through its counsel, applied to the court to dismiss the suit on the three counts mentioned above. But the substantive case can now go ahead once their application has been dismissed.
