The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG), University of Ghana Branch, has called for the resignation of the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, accusing them of persistent administrative overreach and actions it says are undermining the country’s tertiary education system.
In a statement issued on January 19, 2026, UTAG-UG said it had taken note of what it described as “various actions” by the leadership of GTEC that continue to negatively affect public tertiary education institutions, contrary to the Commission’s mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
The association noted that GTEC is mandated to ensure quality standards in teaching, learning and research; promote equitable access; strengthen transparent governance; and foster lifelong learning. However, UTAG-UG argued that the Commission has “veered off these mandates” and failed to uphold its statutory responsibilities.
According to the statement, rather than addressing systemic challenges such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and lecturer remuneration, GTEC has focused on what UTAG-UG described as “tangential and sometimes frivolous actions,” including pursuing individuals over alleged fake degrees, while remaining indifferent to issues posing “existential threats” to tertiary education.
UTAG-UG questioned GTEC’s performance on core regulatory benchmarks, including prescribed student-to-teacher ratios, infrastructure standards, and the mechanisms in place to ensure compliance across public tertiary institutions.
The association further accused GTEC’s leadership of exceeding its legal authority and undermining institutional governance, citing the removal of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. It questioned the specific provisions of Act 1023 under which such powers were exercised.
Concerns were also raised about what UTAG-UG described as confusion between GTEC’s advisory and regulatory roles. The association alleged that governing councils of public universities have been rendered “useless and powerless,” with lawful decisions overturned by the Commission without clear legal justification.
UTAG-UG highlighted the impact of a three-year freeze on recruitment clearance, saying it has increased lecturers’ workload, affected staff well-being, and compromised the quality of education. It also cited procurement bottlenecks that continue to impede teaching and research, accusing GTEC of failing to advocate for public tertiary institutions.
A major point of contention was a directive issued by GTEC in October 2025 requiring lecturers to retire immediately upon attaining 60 years, rather than at the end of the academic year. UTAG-UG described the directive as an administrative overreach likely to disrupt academic programmes and supervision, and questioned the legal basis for subsequent requests for post-retirement contracts.
The association stressed that post-retirement contracts are conditions of service negotiated and approved by government and Cabinet, insisting they are “entitlements, not privileges to be decided at the whims of any individual.”
UTAG-UG also criticised what it described as an adversarial leadership style by Prof. Jinapor and Prof. Ocloo, saying it has damaged staff morale across public tertiary institutions. It cited an incident involving a false media report on fee increments at the University of Ghana, which it said GTEC acted upon without verification, thereby misleading the public.
“These recurring mishaps are not accidental – they represent a pattern of incompetent administration,” the statement said, warning that continued unchecked actions could undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and national development.
UTAG-UG said it had engaged GTEC leadership on several occasions to promote collaborative solutions, but these efforts had yielded little outcome.
Consequently, the association demanded that Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai and Prof. Augustine Ocloo “resign honourably by January 31, 2026,” warning that failure to do so would trigger a petition to the Chief of Staff for their removal and possible industrial action. It also called for the immediate enactment of a Legislative Instrument to guide the implementation of Act 1023 to prevent future abuses.
The statement urged other UTAG branches and sister institutions to join the call to “restore sanity and hope” in Ghana’s public tertiary education system.
