Direct ‘Mafia Ring’ to reverse Galamsey Appointments in Colleges of Education
By Prince Ahenkorah
A major governance dispute, has emerged within Ghana’s tertiary education sector after the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to review and, where necessary, withdraw communications perceived as interfering with the appointment processes of Principals and Vice-Principals in Colleges of Education.
The minister’s intervention follows a formal complaint by the Governing Council of Foso College of Education Governing Council, which accused GTEC of unlawfully constituting a Search Committee to oversee the appointment of a new Principal and Vice-Principal for the institution.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to GTEC, which the Education Minister was copied; the Chairman of the Governing Council of Foso College of Education, Professor Joseph Tufour Kwarteng, expressed what he described as the Council’s profound concern over a communication sent directly by the GTEC to the College’s Principal.
According to the Chairman, GTEC informed the College that it had constituted a Search Committee to fill the impending vacancies for the positions of Principal and Vice-Principal and requested the Council to nominate a representative to serve on the committee.
The Governing Council rejected the move outright, describing it as a serious infringement on its statutory mandate under the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 (Act 847).
Professor Kwarteng argued that the action amounted to a direct usurpation of the Council’s authority as the legally recognized appointing body for principal officers within the College.
“The Governing Council views this action as a severe procedural overreach, an administrative irregularity, and a direct violation of the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 (Act 847),” the letter stated.
The Council outlined several legal and administrative objections to GTEC’s actions.
First, it argued that Act 847 explicitly establishes the Governing Council as the supreme internal governing authority of a College of Education and grants it sole responsibility for appointing key officers, including the Principal and Vice-Principal.
Consequently, the Council maintained that GTEC had no legal basis to constitute a Search Committee on its behalf.
Also, the Council contended that Search Committees are creatures of the Governing Council and must be established by the Council itself. They argued that by forming the committee externally and merely inviting Council representation, GTEC had effectively reduced the statutory appointing authority to a subordinate participant in its own constitutional function.
The Council also criticized GTEC for bypassing established communication protocols by writing directly to the Principal without first consulting or formally notifying the Governing Council.
Another concern raised was the absence of any legal justification for direct intervention by GTEC. According to the Council, such intervention would only be warranted where a College lacks a functioning Governing Council or is experiencing a verifiable governance crisis.
Professor Kwarteng emphasized that neither condition existed at Foso College of Education, whose Governing Council remains fully constituted and operational.
The Governing Council further declared that it would not recognize any outcomes produced by what it described as an improperly constituted Search Committee.
It stressed that while it values collaboration with GTEC in advancing quality assurance and educational standards, it cannot accept actions that undermine the institutional autonomy granted to Colleges of Education by Parliament.
Consequently, the Council formally declined to nominate a representative to the GTEC-led committee and announced that it would proceed independently to establish its own Search Committee in accordance with the Harmonised Statutes governing Colleges of Education.
The Council subsequently called on GTEC to immediately rescind its directive, dissolve the committee, and engage through legally recognized channels as a regulatory and advisory partner.
Following the escalating dispute, the Ministry of Education stepped in to provide guidance on the matter.
In a letter signed by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and addressed to the Director-General of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry acknowledged the Commission’s critical role in quality assurance, regulation, and governance oversight within Ghana’s tertiary education sector.
However, the Minister stated that a review of the relevant legal framework revealed the need for clarification regarding the constitution of Search Committees in Colleges of Education.
The Minister emphasized that the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 (Act 847), clearly establishes Governing Councils as the principal governing bodies of Colleges of Education and grants them authority over the appointment of Principals, Vice-Principals, tutors, and other senior officers.
The Minister referenced Sections 5 and 6 of Act 847, which vest appointment powers in Governing Councils.
He further cited provisions of the Harmonised Statutes for Colleges of Education, particularly Statute 11(1), which stipulates that a Principal shall be appointed by the College Council based on recommendations from a Search Committee established by the Council itself.
The Minister noted that similar provisions govern the appointment of Vice-Principals, Secretaries, and Finance Officers.
According to the Minister, these legal provisions clearly indicate that Search Committees must be established, constituted, and supervised by the respective Governing Councils.
“The Ministry’s understanding of these provisions is that Search Committees are committees established by, constituted by, and accountable to the respective Governing Councils,” the letter stated.
In light of its interpretation of the law, the Minister requested GTEC to review and, where necessary, withdraw or revise any communications that could be construed as directing the composition or constitution of Search Committees for appointing Principal Officers in Colleges of Education.
The Minister further directed that Governing Councils should be allowed to constitute such committees in accordance with Act 847 and the Harmonised Statutes.
Additionally, the Minister urged GTEC to continue exercising its regulatory, advisory, and quality assurance responsibilities in ways that complement, rather than supersede, the statutory powers of College Governing Councils.
Haruna Iddrisu again emphasized the need for consultation before issuing directives that have broad governance implications across the tertiary education sector.