The Concerned Youth of Ketu South Constituency have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama not to succumb to pressure to remove the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Augustine Ocloo.
The group described any attempt to remove him as unwarranted and politically driven, arguing that such a move would undermine institutional independence and further complicate efforts to resolve ongoing challenges within the tertiary education sector.
In a statement issued last Tuesday and signed by Mr Kwame Kekeli Zotoo on behalf of the youth group, it was argued that Prof. Ocloo was being unfairly targeted amid growing tensions surrounding the regulation and governance of tertiary institutions.
The group stated that Prof. Ocloo had consistently operated within his statutory mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), and had not engaged in any conduct that would justify calls for his removal.
According to the Ketu South youth, the focus on ejecting Prof. Ocloo amounted to scapegoating. They stressed that the challenges confronting the tertiary education sector were systemic in nature and required dialogue and institutional engagement rather than personalised blame.
The group also raised concerns about the conduct of Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, stating that his public posture and unresolved questions surrounding his academic credentials had contributed to heightened tensions within the academic community.
It maintained that attempts to redirect public dissatisfaction from Prof. Abdulai toward Prof. Ocloo—whom they described as professional and measured in his approach to regulatory enforcement—were unfair.
The youth group urged the government to prioritise due process, institutional autonomy and broad stakeholder engagement to address the underlying causes of unrest in the sector.
“Removing Prof. Augustine Ocloo will not resolve the challenges in the tertiary education sector and may further erode trust in regulatory institutions,” the statement emphasised.
The group reaffirmed its support for Prof. Ocloo and appealed to academics, students and civil society organisations to support reforms rooted in consultation, fairness and respect for the rule of law.
Public debate over GTEC’s role in enforcing regulatory standards across public and private tertiary institutions has intensified in recent times. Disputes over academic titles, governance structures and compliance with accreditation requirements have heightened tensions within the sector.
Disagreements between sections of academia and the regulatory body have escalated, with some university officials and stakeholders accusing GTEC leadership of regulatory overreach, while others insist the commission is simply enforcing existing laws to sanitise the tertiary education sector.
These developments have led to calls in some quarters for changes in the leadership of GTEC.
By Times Reporter
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