14 UPSA council members to face court over contempt Feb 18

A hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the High Court in Adenta, Accra, to address an application against 14 members of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) governing council for alleged contempt of court.

The court action stems from a writ of summons and a statement of claim served to the university on December 23, 2024. The legal documents challenge the appointments of Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor as vice-chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah as pro-vice-chancellor for academic and student affairs, and Prof. Samuel Antwi as pro-vice-chancellor for research, innovation, and knowledge transfer.

On the same day, a court motion was filed seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent the governing council from swearing in and inducting the three appointees.

The legal challenge was brought by Rashid Ibrahim, a former student of the university, through his lawyer, Abdul Aziz Gomda. The governing council had initially postponed the planned investiture ceremony on December 27, 2024, but later announced that the event would proceed with a slight time change. Despite the court’s warning of possible contempt penalties, the ceremony took place, with the university registrar, Lorraine Gyan, claiming the school had not been “formally” served with any court documents.

Following this, Ibrahim filed an application on January 10, 2025, requesting that the court hold the governing council accountable for contempt. His lawyer emphasized that the council’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the court’s authority, undermining the rule of law in the country.

The 14 council members involved in the case include Dr. Kofi Ohene-Konadu, Prof. Abednego F.O. Amartey, Prof. Ernestina Fredua Anto, Kizito Beyuo, Maxwell Donkor, Paul Kwesi Amoasi Baidoo, John Dadzie-Mensah, Dr. Sadat Mohammed, Kwabena Akuamoah Agyekum, Mark Badu-Aboagye, Francis Dadzie, Peter Ataburo, Williams Wul-Minga Kuusori, and Obimpeh Winfred Nartey.

Background

The controversy began in May 2024 when UPSA announced Prof. Mawutor’s appointment as vice-chancellor, effective January 1, 2025, along with the appointments of Prof. Asamoah and Prof. Antwi. Ibrahim’s statement of claim asserts that the university’s governing council violated established rules and procedures regarding faculty appointments, particularly concerning Prof. Mawutor’s promotion to associate professor. According to the revised university guidelines, a senior lecturer must have at least seven published articles to be considered for promotion, a requirement Ibrahim claims Mawutor did not meet.

The plaintiff further contends that the appointments of Prof. Asamoah and Prof. Antwi lack legal justification and breach the university’s founding Act. As part of his case, Ibrahim seeks several legal remedies, including declarations that the promotions and appointments are invalid, as well as an injunction preventing the university from making similar appointments in the future without adhering to the legal standards set forth.

This legal challenge is part of a broader trend of controversial events involving public universities in Ghana, which have drawn attention under the leadership of Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).