GTEC suspends UCC requests over vice-chancellor tenure dispute
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has suspended the processing of all major requests from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) following the institution’s failure to comply with its directive on the tenure of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong.
In a letter dated Monday, 22 September 2025, and addressed to the UCC Registrar, GTEC explained that the university’s Governing Council had been restrained by a High Court injunction since 8 October 2024 from taking any decision on Prof Boampong’s appointment.
Despite this, the Commission noted, Prof Boampong has remained in office beyond the compulsory retirement age of 60.
As a result, GTEC announced that it will no longer process UCC’s requests relating to: Accreditation; Salaries (government subventions); GETFund support; Book and Research Allowance; Post-retirement contracts; Financial clearance for recruitment and Any other related matters
The directive, signed by Prof Augustine Ocloo, Acting Deputy Director-General of GTEC, stressed that the suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in force until the university demonstrates full compliance with the Commission’s order.
Last week, GTEC directed Prof Boampong to vacate his post, citing his continued stay in office beyond the mandatory retirement age. In a letter dated 19 September 2025, the Commission stated: “The Office of the Vice-Chancellor, being an office established under Section 7(1) of the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278), is a public office under the meaning and intendment of Article 199(1).
“Hence, anyone acting in the office of the Vice-Chancellor is presumptively mandated to proceed on compulsory retirement upon attaining 60 years.”
The Commission also referred to UCC’s Statutes (2016), which stipulate that the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure is four years, renewable for another three years, provided the statutory retirement age has not been exceeded.
In the meantime, GTEC has directed Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, to act as Vice-Chancellor.
It also instructed the UCC Governing Council to suspend the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor until the pending case before the Cape Coast High Court is determined.
