ACCRA – Legal scholar Professor Stephen Asare has cautioned the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) against rushing to enforce its directive for the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, to vacate his office.
In a Facebook post sighted by Metro TV, Prof. Asare said GTEC’s decision to order Prof. Boampong out of office while the courts are still hearing the case could create needless confusion.
“Regulators cannot overrule judges. The wiser course for GTEC is to hold its horses and allow the High Court to finish its work,” he wrote.
Prof. Boampong, who was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2020 and reappointed in 2023, turned 60 in September 2025.
GTEC has cited Article 199(1) of the Constitution, which makes 60 the mandatory retirement age for public officers, as the basis for its directive.
However, Prof. Asare points out that the Constitution also allows for exceptions. “Article 199(4) provides exceptions, permitting post-retirement engagements of up to two years at a time, not exceeding five years, if service demands require it,” he explained, adding that whether a Vice-Chancellor’s renewal falls within this exception “is precisely what the courts must decide.”
The case has already seen several legal twists. An alumnus of the university challenged Prof. Boampong’s reappointment in court, leading to an initial injunction from the Cape Coast High Court that restrained the Vice-Chancellor. The same court later granted a stay of execution, allowing him to remain in office until the substantive case is determined.
Meanwhile, efforts by the UCC Council Chairman to terminate the appointment were strongly resisted by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), which described the move as “unlawful and unilateral.”
“The court has said: ‘let the VC stay until we decide.’ GTEC is now saying: ‘leave now, we’ve decided,’” Prof. Asare observed, warning that such a move could undermine judicial authority.
He called on GTEC to let the legal process run its course to avoid destabilizing the university.
Source: metrotvonline.com
