The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana, University of Ghana Branch (UTAG-UG), has called on the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, to resign by January 31, 2026, or face possible industrial action.
In a press release issued on January 19, UTAG-UG said failure by the two officials to step down would compel the association to escalate the matter through formal petitions and potential strike action.
“UTAG-UG calls on the DG, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and the DDG, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, to resign honourably by 31st January 2026,” the statement said.
“Failure to do so will result in (a) a petition to the Chief-of-Staff for their removal, and (b) industrial action if necessary.”
The press release was jointly signed by Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison, President of UTAG-UG, and Dr. Godfred B. Hagan, Secretary.
UTAG-UG accused the leadership of GTEC of actions that, according to the association, undermine tertiary education and deviate from the Commission’s legal mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
“UTAG-UG has taken note of various actions of the Director-General and his Deputy that continue to negatively impact tertiary education institutions in Ghana, contrary to their mandate,” the association stated.
“Instead of executing its core mandate, the Commission has been reduced to tangential and sometimes frivolous actions, such as chasing people with ‘fake degrees’, while neglecting fundamental issues affecting tertiary education in Ghana.”
UTAG-UG warned that the quality of education in public tertiary institutions is deteriorating rapidly due to chronic underfunding and poor conditions of service.
“The quality of education being provided by public tertiary institutions in Ghana is at an all-time low due to insufficient budgetary support, largely restricted to the payment of salaries, inadequate infrastructure, and poor remuneration for lecturers,” the statement noted.
The association expressed concern that GTEC appears indifferent to these challenges, which it described as “existential threats” to the country’s tertiary education system.
UTAG-UG also appealed to other university campuses and allied institutions to support its actions.
“We urge all other UTAG campuses and sister institutions to join this fight against tyranny, oppression, and administrative abuse, to restore sanity and hope to our public education institutions.”
Additionally, the association called for the immediate enactment of a Legislative Instrument (LI) to guide the implementation of Act 1023, arguing that this would prevent future abuse of power by GTEC leadership.
