News:
June 25, 2016
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu Constituency says the central government’s directive asking the Council of the University of Education, Winneba to stay on despite its expired term of office is illegal.
Afenyo Markins says the University of Education, Winneba Act 672 clearly stipulates the tenure of office of the Council and this cannot be subjected to the whims of any sitting government.
“A central government directive or presidential directive cannot take precedence over express provisions of the law,” he said.
In her response to questions on the floor of Parliament on June 23, the Education Minister, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang disclosed the Council, whose term of office expired in November 2013, will act till a substantive one is sworn-in.
She explained challenges facing the education sector coupled with the election petition in 2013 resulted in the decision by the central government to have the Council act till a new one is established.
“We were all aware of a number of challenges that were going on legally regarding the elections and so on. So the directive came from the central government that all councils whose terms were going to expire should hold on,” she told the House.
“There were not extensions but they were mandated to carry on with their responsibilities until new councils were established,” she added.
But the outspoken NPP legislator said there is no way the government can justify its directive giving backing to an illegality.
“You cannot by any means find a way of getting somebody whose tenure has expired to stay on,” he said.
He ridiculed the sector minister’s claim that the 2013 election petition contributed to the directive of the government.
“The election petition was determined way back in August 2013 and the tenure of the Council expired in November 2013 so it cannot be it,” he said.