UTAG Makes Strides

Story: W. K. Adusu

Since the inception of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Legon branch, the newly-elected executives led by Doctor Langbong Bimi, in their quest to make history, were able to secure and commission befitting new offices, to run affairs of the association. 

Inaugurating the historical facility, Dr. Bimi told the gathering that the association intended to re-brand itself and deal with some topical issues pertinent to the country’s socio-economic development.

He said it is the association’s desire to promote academic, professional and economic welfare amongst other things in the entire academic community of the University of Ghana.

In addition, the association donated to the University of Ghana Students’ Financial Aid Office, an amount of fifty thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢50,000.00), to support brilliant but needy students who would be supported to get enrolled into the University. 

Speaking with The Republic, Dr. Bimi said the amount donated was just the beginning; and that they would ensure in the subsequent years the amount goes up.

He said the amount was contributed due to every academic year’s demand and intimated that these are the contributions from the dues of members.

It was realised that out of 400 students who applied for the financial aid, only 300 of them could be supported.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana, Legon branch has also called on the government to rescind its decision to scrap the book and research allowances being enjoyed by these teachers/lecturers, else, they would rise up against it.

It was noted that the government has proposed a National Research Fund policy for all teachers in place of the book and research allowances that the university teachers are currently enjoying.

In a statement issued in Accra by the Legon branch of UG-UTAG during the launch of week-long celebration and commission of the new office complex of the association, the Association president, Dr. Langbong Bimi expressed dissatisfaction of lack of consultation by government on issues of educational reforms in the country.

According to the UG-UTAG president, UTAG should have been the first point-of-call by government on any educational issues in the country, adding, he said, university teachers are the ultimate persons to handle and manage products from the basic schools.

The government, he said, must always think of running a new system alongside old ones, and not scraping it out-right and replacing it with a new one just like that, he stressed.

Inasmuch as we welcome the establishment of a National Research Fund; what we are cautioning against is the desire of government to replace the Book and Research Allowance with this Fund.

The Guest Speaker at the launch, the Hon. Minister of Education, Mrs Jean Naana Agyemang, was represented by the Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of tertiary, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, who disclosed that consultations are ongoing and government would do what best suits teachers/lecturers in the country including POTAG.

The Minister assured them of government willingness to engage them in all educational issues; informing them that government will soon consult them on the proposed National Research Fund. He made the launch aware that the quantum involve in the National Research Fund is encouraging.

Speaking on behalf of the Education Minister, Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa said the universities should review the in-take into the medical schools, to admit more students in order to churn-out more and quality doctors in the country just as it is in the other countries, like in Cuba.  

Also, he urged students who could not get access to the public universities to move to the private universities or make use of the distance education.

He promised that the government is making strides to provide furniture to the universities that have furniture problems.   

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, calls for serious engagement between the vice chancellors of the various Universities and the stakeholders to ensure the success running of these various universities in the country.

Prof. Aryeetey cautioned that no staff of the public universities should see their colleagues in the private universities as different. He said no organization or individual has the right to stand against the others’ credibility.

He also told UG-UTAG that the facility should at all times be opened to the GAWA, in order to strengthen tie between the two associations.