The minority in Parliament has given the government a week’s ultimatum to address the grievances of the Federation of University Senior Staff Association (FUSSAG) or haul Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the minister of education before the House.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Asaase Radio’s Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin, Dr Clement Apaak, the deputy ranking member of the Education Committee of Parliament said the minister could be summoned to Parliament to explain the inability of the ministry to meet the demands of FUSSAG.
“This is the responsibility of the minister of education. We have given one week, after which he would be called to answer to Parliament,” Apaak said.
Constitute governing councils
In a separate development, Apaak is also calling for the immediate constitution of governing councils for the various public universities.
“We as a responsible minority have called on the government to reconstitute the councils and this is the responsibility of the minister of education. We have given one week, it has implications for the governance of the universities and I am not going to stand here and recount the many challenges that our public universities are already facing and without a council,” the MP for Builsa South said.
He added: “The council has to approve some expenditures, recruitment of new lecturers, the council is a very important component, and in fact the most important component as far as the governance of the university is concerned. So not having councils five months after the expiration of the life of the previous councils is worrisome.”
Background
Over 6000 members of FUSSAG from 10 public universities in the country laid down their working tools on 19 May 2021 in protest over poor working conditions and the failure of the government to pay accrued pensions as well as the award of market premium and non-basic allowance.
Elliot Nuertey
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