The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has formally requested that the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, step down honourably.
They have been given until January 31, 2026, to comply, with a warning that failure to do so will prompt a formal petition to the Chief of Staff and potential industrial action.
This ultimatum was issued in a statement by UTAG on Monday, January 19, 2026. The association accused GTEC of not fulfilling its statutory mandate and instead engaging in what it termed “tangential and sometimes frivolous actions”.
UTAG further alleged that GTEC is selectively pursuing individuals with allegedly fake degrees while neglecting systemic issues affecting public tertiary education in Ghana.
The association mentioned several structural and operational problems, including inadequate budgetary support, poor infrastructure, and low lecturer remuneration, which have contributed to the deterioration of education quality in public universities.
UTAG expressed concern that GTEC’s apparent indifference to these challenges poses serious threats to the sustainability of tertiary education in the country.
“What is the expected student-to-teacher ratio in our institutions, and what is the current ratio? What infrastructure requirements does GTEC prescribe, and how do current facilities measure up? What mechanisms are in place to ensure these standards are met?”
It further alleged that governing councils of public tertiary institutions have been rendered powerless, vice-chancellors reduced to “toothless bulldogs”, and legally taken decisions by councils overturned without clear legal authority.
UTAG states that the government’s three-year recruitment ban has increased lecturers’ workload, hurt staff well-being, and lowered teaching quality.
They also accuse GTEC of failing to advocate for public tertiary education amid bureaucratic issues hindering teaching and research.
