Accra, Ghana – The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has suspended the processing of all major requests from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) until the institution complies with its directive regarding the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong.
In a letter dated Monday, September 22, 2025, and addressed to the UCC Registrar, GTEC explained that the university’s Governing Council has been restrained by a High Court injunction since October 8, 2024, from taking any decision on Prof. Boampong’s appointment. Despite the injunction, Prof. Boampong has remained in office beyond the compulsory retirement age of 60.
Immediate Suspension of University Transactions
The Commission announced that it will no longer process requests from UCC relating to:
- Accreditation
- Salaries and government subventions
- GETFund support
- Book and research allowances
- Post-retirement contracts
- Financial clearance for recruitment
- Any other related matters
The directive, signed by Prof. Augustine Ocloo, Acting Deputy Director-General of GTEC, stressed that the suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in place until full compliance is demonstrated.
A search on the GTEC website revealed that UCC has been temporarily removed from the list of public universities, effectively indicating that the university “does not exist” in GTEC’s current records.
Background of the Dispute
Last week, GTEC formally directed Prof. Boampong to vacate his post, citing his continued service beyond the mandatory retirement age. In a letter dated Friday, September 19, 2025, the Commission noted:
“The Office of the Vice-Chancellor, being an office established under Section 7(1) of the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278), is a public office under the meaning and intendment of Article 199(1). Hence, anyone acting in the office of the Vice-Chancellor is presumptively mandated to proceed on compulsory retirement upon attaining 60 years.”
GTEC also referenced the University of Cape Coast Statutes (2016), which specify that the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure is four years, renewable for another three years, provided the statutory retirement age is not exceeded.
Interim Arrangements
Pending the resolution of the legal matter before the Cape Coast High Court, GTEC has directed Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto to act as Vice-Chancellor and instructed the Governing Council to suspend the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor.
The move underscores GTEC’s commitment to ensuring compliance with statutory provisions governing leadership and governance in public universities.
Source – My News Ghana
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