UTAG-UG Calls for GTEC Director-General and Deputy's Resignation by Jan 31

The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has called on the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, to resign honourably by January 31, 2026, warning that failure to comply will result in a formal petition to the Chief of Staff and potential industrial action. In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, January 19, UTAG accused GTEC of failing to fulfil its statutory mandate and engaging in what the association described as “tangential and sometimes frivolous actions,” including pursuing individuals with alleged fake degrees, while ignoring systemic challenges affecting public tertiary education in Ghana. The association highlighted a series of structural and operational issues, noting that the quality of education in public universities has deteriorated due to inadequate budgetary support, poor infrastructure, and low remuneration for lecturers. According to UTAG, GTEC has shown indifference to these problems, which pose serious threats to the sustainability of tertiary education in the country. UTAG raised critical questions regarding GTEC’s performance, asking: “What is the expected student-to-teacher ratio in our institutions, and what is the current ratio? What infrastructure requirements does GTEC prescribe, and how do current facilities measure up? What mechanisms are in place to ensure these standards are met?” The association also criticised the commission’s leadership for blurring the lines between advisory and regulatory roles. UTAG claimed that under the leadership of Prof. Jinapor and Ocloo, governing councils of public tertiary institutions have been rendered powerless, vice-chancellors reduced to “toothless bulldogs,” and legally taken decisions by councils overturned without clear legal authority. UTAG further pointed out that the government’s refusal to approve staff recruitment over the past three years has increased lecturers’ workloads, negatively impacted staff well-being, and reduced teaching quality. At the same time, bureaucratic adherence to procurement laws continues to hamper teaching and research, yet UTAG alleges that GTEC has failed to act as a strong advocate for public tertiary education.