Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has been elected the National Secretary of the University Teachers Association of Ghana.
In a Facebook post announcement victory, in what he described as “a highly competitive election”, Prof. Gyampo said “UTAG will play its role as countervailing authority to establishments and we won’t be heard only commenting on our conditions of service”.
“We will speak up to praise Government when necessary and to, without malice and cynicism, offer sharp criticisms on all matters germane to the socio-economic and political interest of our members and Ghanaians as a whole, when we have to.” – He added
Read his full statement:
Got elected as UTAG Secretary this evening in a highly competitive election. While thanking God for giving me that strong will and resilient character, I thank you all, especially my students, present and past, for the support. You weren’t part of those expected to vote, yet you had a lot of confidence in me, in a manner that beats my imagination. You thronged my office to pick my flyers just to go campaign for me.
Lofty and Mr Dick Mensah, I don’t even know you. Yet you guys designed and freely printed flyers, posters and banners for me. My colleague lecturers on campus, you guys demonstrated confidence in me. You told me you believe in me. You told me you feel I am the right person to do the job for you and when it came to voting, you were massive in your support for me, culminating in my wrestling of power from an incumbent, in my first ever attempt at competitive election in my life.
Working with my colleagues, we won’t fight with any government. But no regime will take University Teachers for granted from now on. Some of us are too much socialized about the dogmas of Mobilization and we know how to make establishments ungovernable when we have to do so, for the purposes of pushing a greater good, to restore societal equilibrium and equity. We will negotiate peacefully and respectfully. But we will bite hard when we have to.
UTAG will play its role as countervailing authority to establishments and we won’t be heard only commenting on our conditions of service. We will speak up to praise Government when necessary and to, without malice and cynicism, offer sharp criticisms on all matters germane to the socio-economic and political interest of our members and Ghanaians as a whole, when we have to. The days when we looked so much into our books and neglected our own interests, are gone. We will look into our books but take time to also push for our interest.
For close to 20 years, I have fought as one man civil society in shaping public policy. Now with the support of my people and colleagues, we can assure regimes that UTAG is going to be a more force to reckon with. We will strive for industrial harmony but won’t tolerate disrespect from any quarter. We won’t tolerate negotiations for better conditions that drags from 2012 to date, with meetings still being called in perpetuity. University Teachers do not eat meetings.
We aren’t going to fight with government, and we are not teaming up with the opposition. We are going to only push an agenda that ensures equity in the treatment of all public servants. We won’t teach a soldier and a judge for instance, to retire on their salaries, and be paid coins when we retire. It is an indubitable truism that politicians can never be more credit worthy than University Teachers. So, why can’t we also be given loans to purchase vehicles?
We are aware of the discrimination imposed by the 1992 Constitution between some Article 71 office holders and public servants like teachers. We know how politicians swiftly exploit these constitutionally discriminatory provisions in a way that secures their interest. We are therefore also going to push an agenda that protects our interest, the interest of Ghanaians and makes UTAG assertive in keeping regimes on their toes.
Yaw Gyampo
UTAG Secretary-Elect
UG
