By Iddi Muhayu-Deen
Dr. Harry Agbenu, UTAG President
The Dr. Harry Agbenu-led UTAG would forever be remembered in the history of the Association for all the bad reasons. Dr. Agbenu, who is the National President of UTAG together with his colleague executives have not only embarrassed themselves but have also succeeded in sinking deep, the image of an otherwise serious organization like UTAG in the ocean of opprobrium and ridicule following their posture in the UEW [ads1]court impasse.
How can you declare a nationwide strike because a competent court of jurisdiction, properly so constituted, has made certain orders which you disagree with? I mean how? Are these lecturers aware that this nation is governed by the Rule of Law? Do they know that whether or not you disagree with a court ruling, you are bound to respect it? Do they know that if you are minded to register your disagreement with a court order, you have every right to invoke the appellate jurisdiction of the Court for redress and that means you can only fight your case in Court?
Do they think we live in a jungle where anybody can do whatever they like and with impunity? I thought lecturers and for that matter the intelligentsia are supposed to know better. I thought the intelligentsia is the reflection of the conscience of society. Does this repugnant action of Dr. Agbenu and his cohorts speak to the conscience of the contemporary Ghanaian society? Is academia failing us? Are they really the very people imparting knowledge to students in the nation’s universities? Are they the very people teaching us to be law abiding at all times?
I am particularly aghast at the reprehensible conduct of the UTAG President, Dr. Agbenu who has been shamelessly vocal in pushing this outlandish and lawless agenda for his parochial interest. For instance, he likens what is happening to political manipulation and machinations which he claims, he’s bent on fighting using UTAG as his weapon. Obviously his suspicion is that, because the plaintiff’s lawyer in the matter also doubles as an NPP Member of Parliament, then that means government is behind this whole issue. I guess you are shocked too.
So, Dr. Agbenu wants the over 400,000 students in all the Public Universities in Ghana to suffer unduly because he wants to achieve a parochial interest? My goodness!The gods must certainly be crazy. How can a lecturer, properly so called, stoop this low? I wonder what at all he is teaching his students. Lawlessness or what? I guess he doesn’t even know that it is CONTEMPTUOUS to disrespect a Court Order and that makes him a fine candidate for prosecution. You can’t fight the very law that protects you. This is very unconscionable and shameful to say the least.
I’m therefore not surprised that his so called declaration of STRIKE, hasn’t seen the light of day as lectures are ongoing in all the Public Universities in the country without interruption. This is what I call, positive defiance and I commend the lecturers for that. Our lecturers have indeed proven that they are very reasonable and law abiding after all. But I think it is not enough to just defy Dr. Agbenu’s orders and leave it at that. They should, with immediate effect, activate the necessary processes to impeach him for dragging the good name of UTAG into disrepute. He is very much unfit to lead an intellectual association like UTAG.
Apologies to my readers if I come across as using very harsh words. I just couldn’t help it. I love my lecturers and that’s why I want them to live above reproach at all times.
Assalamu alaik
Iddi Muhayu-Deen
# ForGodAndCountry