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The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana, University of Ghana branch (UTAG-UG), has called for the resignation of the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, accusing them of actions that undermine public tertiary education.
In a statement issued on Monday, January 19, 2026, UTAG-UG said the leadership of GTEC has consistently deviated from its mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), negatively affecting institutional autonomy, academic freedom and staff morale.
UTAG-UG noted that GTEC is mandated to promote quality, equity, transparency and accountability in tertiary education, but has failed to address critical challenges such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, staff shortages and low lecturer remuneration.
The association accused GTEC of engaging in administrative overreach and focusing on peripheral issues, while neglecting fundamental problems threatening the quality and sustainability of public tertiary education institutions.
UTAG-UG further criticised what it described as interference in university governance, including the reversal of decisions by Governing Councils and the controversial removal of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, questioning the legal basis for such actions.
Concern was also raised over government’s refusal to grant recruitment clearance for the past three years, which UTAG-UG said has increased lecturers’ workload and weakened teaching and research across public universities.
The association condemned a GTEC directive requiring lecturers to retire immediately upon attaining 60 years, describing it as unlawful and disruptive to academic programmes, and questioned GTEC’s authority to interfere in post-retirement contract arrangements.
UTAG-UG also accused GTEC leadership of adopting an adversarial leadership style, citing incidents it said misled the public and damaged trust between the Commission and university management.
UTAG-UG has therefore demanded that Prof. Jinapor Abdulai and Prof. Ocloo resign honourably by January 31, 2026, warning that failure to do so will lead to a petition to the Chief of Staff and possible industrial action, while also calling for a Legislative Instrument to guide the implementation of Act 1023.
