Court restrains VC, Registrar of CK Tedem University; orders fresh appointments

A High Court in Bolgatanga has restrained Eric Magnus Wilmot and Vincent A Ankomah, who are respectively Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the CK Tedem University of Technology from holding themselves as such.

Also, the court ordered the University’s  Governing Council to nominate an interim management board pending fresh election of a Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.

This was the outcome of a suit filed by one Joseph Pwoawuvi Weguri against the University and three others in which he sought a declaration that the purported appointment of the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar was null and void.

The plaintiff averred that despite attaining the compulsory retirement age of sixty(60) years, the two persons have unlawfully continued to remain in office.

However, the University argued that the appointment of these persons are not bound by the University’s statute, as they fall within the category of  "foundation vice Chancellors and registrars.”

Additionally, they indicated that this class of appointees is classified as critical staff and therefore does not fall under the class of persons who ought to retire at age 60.

However, the court presided over by Justice Charles Adjei Wilson found that the University’s argument that the two officers are foundation officers and thus not bound by the compulsory retirement age of 60 was not captured in the University’s statute.

The court thus held that the University erred in appointing the two officers for a full four-year term knowing very well that they could not serve their full terms before they attained the age of 60.

It thus upheld the plaintiff’s reliefs except one on the refund of their salaries thus granting a perpetual injunction against the VC and registrar and ordering the University to take steps to make fresh appointments.