UTAG disagrees with President over varsities bill

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has described as unfortunate President Nana Akufo-Addo’s description of the divergent views on the draft Public Universities Bill.

On Saturday, June 29, 2019, while speaking at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA’s) graduation ceremony, the President reportedly described as “flimsy, mischief-making…and disingenuous” differing views expressed by some members of UTAG so far regarding the Bill which is yet to be tabled before Parliament.

But UTAG in a statement dated July 4, 2019, and signed by its National President, Dr. Eric Opoku Mensah, said it (UTAG) “also finds the description worrying and prejudicial particularly when the Ministry of Education has assured us that it is considering the concerns of UTAG and those of other stakeholders before the Bill is tabled before Parliament.”

It said, “it is important to state that UTAG is strongly opposed to the Bill in its current form and that the proposed Bill should be improved from its” zero draft stage” to incorporate the critical views that have been expressed by key stakeholders. “

UTAG, in the statement, called for further consultations with key stakeholders over the Bill before it is laid before Parliament.