A recent court ruling at the Kumasi High Court has dismissed an application for an interlocutory injunction that aimed to hinder the tenure extension of the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The applicant, Clement Kofi Ohene Asare, sought to prevent the second term appointment of Prof. Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, set to begin on August 1, 2024. However, Justice Frederick Tetteh deemed the application to be without merit and questioned the plaintiff’s claim of being an alumnus of the university.
During the court proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel argued that the reappointment of the Vice Chancellor went against the university’s statutes regarding the extension of tenure. They contended that the proper procedures, such as the formation of a seven-member Search Committee and the advertisement of the Vice Chancellor vacancy for other potential candidates, were not followed.
In response, the defendants – the University and the Vice Chancellor – defended their actions, stating that they had adhered to the reappointment regulations. Following the dismissal of the injunction application, the plaintiff filed for a stay of execution and an appeal against the defendants.
A minor dispute arose at the court premises when the university lawyers insisted on being officially served at the university rather than at the court. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the university and awarded a cost of 9,000 Ghana cedis against the applicant.
Dr. Noris Bekoe, the University Relations Officer at KNUST, welcomed the court’s decision and encouraged all parties involved to resolve the issue amicably without resorting to further legal actions.
Interestingly, another staff member of the university has filed a similar suit to halt the reappointment of the Vice Chancellor, indicating ongoing tensions within the institution. It remains to be seen how this situation will evolve in the coming days.
