University of Ghana will from next month start relieving non performing lecturers from their duties as lecturers of the University. This action will be carried out should they fail to produce their research documents by the end of the month.
According to the National President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Harry Agbanu, lecturers are mandated to regularly conduct and produce research documents to the association as well as the University management as part of their duties as lecturers of the University. Lecturers are to conduct research and publish Journals to qualify them for promotion regularly into senior lecturer positions.
According to Dr. Harry Agbanu, though this is known to all lecturers as part of their terms of engagement, some lecturers of University of Ghana for sometime now have refused to conduct and produce any such documents.
Dr. Agbanu further indicated that the dismissal if carried out will not be the first instance for the University as many others have also been dismissed for not making themselves relevant to the academic community.
The president of UTAG added that the University is constrained to take such a decision to protect the integrity of the institution. Especially university of Ghana who is striving to become the number one research institution within the sub region.
“The University must be seen to be living up to expectation. The quality of faculty has a lot to do with the quality of the University’s integrity and so if the University feels that you are not making effort to publish and get promoted, they relief you of your position and it has being happening every year.” Dr. Agbanu explained
In a related development, Dr. Harry Agbanu has assured students in the various public universities the association will not embark on any strike action this year as government is expediting action on matters relating to the payment of book and research allowance for lecturers in due time.
Government has approved the payment of GH¢37 million in book and research allowances to lecturers in tertiary institutions. Meanwhile Finance Ministry has begun the processes for the release and payment of the money to beneficiary lecturers.