University of Education, Winneba
The least said about Victor K. Owusu and his lack of knowledge of court proceedings, the better. It doesn't matter which Judge presides over the UEW case, it is still going to be the 1992 Constitution and all other relevant laws in force at the material time, that are going to be applied by the Judge to the facts put before the court by the plaintiff and the accused to enable the court arrive at a 'constitutional' decision. The embattled officials can even go to Nigeria and hire public relations practitioners to come to Ghana and spew out all the lies in this world to back their hollow stand, like one politician did just before the 2016 general elections, the rule of law will still triumph at the end of the day.
Anyone who believes that the UEW legal tussle can be won by spewing out outright fabricated falsehoods in the media about anyone who is in support of the judicial process running its normal course, is in for a tough time.
An ex governing council member of UEW, hereinafter referred to as ex councillor, put out some garbage in the media about 2 days ago.
So, this very worried ex-Councillor, is not really worried about the fatal grammatical errors in his submission, but very worried about alleged illegalities he took part in perpetuating? At least, rookie Victor K. Owusu knows that you should have used malfeasance, instead of "malfeasance". Mr. worried ex-Councillor, please see Victor K. Owusu in that regard. If you even want to know who anyone in this world is in 'bed' with at any given time, apart from Victor K. Owusu and his apparatchiks, talk to him.
No wonder during the period that you were a council member, you participated in approving 'killer' fees for UEW students. For instance, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students pay not less GHC500 for internship and a similar amount as training fees. These 2 'killer' fees alone, puts an extra GHC1,000 on the fees of all BBA students.
For the so-called training, a resource person brought in to facilitate the training, is paid an insulting GHC600, NOT per hour or per day, but for everything.
Each student is also given a bottle of malt and one meat pie. Mr. Ex councillor, are you not worried about this daylight robbery of poor Ghanaians by a council you were member?
Also, with the internship, lecturers at the Business School were stopped from going on internship supervision last academic year (2016/17). Naturally, those students who are now rendering their national service, should have been refunded about 80% of their internship fees, but not even a pesewa or a reasonable explanation was offered them by your council.
The mentors at the institutions where the students are accepted for their internships are supposed to be paid GHC40 per student accepted for the internship. For well over 3 years now, not a single mentor has been paid this money. The current council is yet to superintend over an internship.
I supervised some students on internship during the 2015/16 academic year, at a medical facility, and was made to feel ashamed of being a staff of UEW. A very old man working at the medical facility told me that, for the past 3 years, as at December 2015, that the GHC40 payable by UEW per student mentored, was never paid. He thought I was bringing him the money. Students are charged not less than GHC500 for a service, and GHC100 can realistically provide that service. Mr. Ex councillor, are you not worried about this?
Are you not really worried that a 'vampire' at UEW has taken almost all Ghanaians for a ride, to enrich himself and a few cronies like yourself at the expense of poor Ghanaians? This 'vampire' devises crafty ways of taking money from parents whose wads are studying at UEW, invest these funds, and take his cut of 3% or 5% in the name of honorarium payment on income, claiming to be directly involved in the income generation.
Is it the lecturer who has no office to operate from, and stands in front of an overcrowded classroom to deliver the core mandate of the university, or someone chilling off in an air conditioned office, together with the fastest Wifi connection, who is directly involved in the income generation of UEW? Are you not worried about this?
It is evident from your article that you can't think far, so I have to digress a little here. All UEW staff, deserve an honorarium payment for being directly involved in the income generation.
For example, UEW security guards provide security at all campuses of UEW, thus, enabling all and sundry, to go about their daily routines, peacefully. This peaceful existing atmosphere at UEW is then broadcast around the world, and ends up attracting more students to UEW, whose fees are then invested by a 'vampire' who then manipulates other 'greedy bastards' to approve a stinking to high heaven looting conduit pipe, cleverly termed honorarium payment to so-called officials directly involved in the income generated. Where is the fairness in this Mr. Ex councillor? Are you not worried about this 'monkey de work baboon de chop' setting? Are the security guards not human beings like you and your fellow 'blood sucking vampires'?
Mr. Ex councillor, so you are not worried that apart from you and your other partners in national funds looting, who got their allowances and other claims paid within the hour, all allowances and claims for the 'nobodies' at UEW took not less than 3 months to be processed during your tenure?
Are you not worried about the fact that national laws provide for 15 working days annual leave, and you participated in perpetuating an 'illegality' by approving over 60 days annual leave for a selected few? If anyone wants over 60 days annual leave, are they not better off resigning from their positions and going on a permanent vacation? If section 20 (1) of the Labour Act 2003, (Act 651) provides for statutory leave of not less than 15 working days in a given year, that doesn't give you and your cohorts 'unfettered powers' to approve over 60 working days annual leave for your cronies. Would you approve 62 working days annual leave for the Directors of a company you happen to be a shareholder?
Are you not worried that you are so daft that you fail to comprehend that a Presidential Directive has no legal authority whatsoever over the 1992 Constitution, or any Act of Parliament?
All those contracts which are being disputed by the Akpeteshie seller, regarding procedural irregularities in the award process, would be looked at with a microscopic lens Vis-a-Vis the 1992 Constitution, the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) (PPA 2003), as amended. Your vain explanations have no legal basis whatsoever! A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), cannot take precedence over an Act of Parliament. If a MoU should have legal precedence over an Act of Parliament, then what will be the reason for government wasting tax payers’ money in running a Public Procurement Authority in addition to appointing a Minister of State responsible for that grey area?
It is apparent from your submissions that you are one of those who were basically on the UEW governing council, for the allowances sake, and not for any other reason. Without mincing words, you are counselled freely to start talking to a good lawyer, as that is your only avenue out of a possible time in jail. The naked robbery you lot indulged in at UEW, could only have taken place with semi literates like you packed on the council. What economic or productive input could you have offered in the formulation of a viable policy, given the fact that malfeasance caused you nightmares?
This is not a case that will be decided by the 'court of public opinion' based on the sponsored, desperate and incoherent explanations you goofed out there. A majority of discerning Ghanaians, have been fleeced to the marrow by you and your co-conspirators, so you should be prepared to face the consequences of your shameful actions or inactions during your councillor-ship tenure at UEW. Your tacit appeal to Ghanaians to rise up against the judiciary, is akin to the failed attempt by a selfish and inward looking ex UTAG executives, to link a purely legal issue with so-called academic freedom.
I guarantee you, together with your sorrowful and wishful snarls that the unending arms of the 1992 Constitution, the PPA 2003, and other relevant laws of this country, will surely catch up with you. End of story!
Alhassan Salifu Bawah (Son of a peasant farmer)