GTEC Restores Services to UCC

GTEC Restores Services to UCC After University Complies with Directive

September 24, 2025

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has restored all services to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) after the institution complied with its directive regarding the retirement of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong.

On September 19, 2025, GTEC withdrew all services to UCC, including the processing of requests for accreditation, government subventions, GETFund support, Book and Research allowances, post-retirement contracts, and financial clearance for recruitment. The punitive action followed a dispute over whether Prof. Boampong had reached the compulsory retirement age of 60, as stipulated by the 1992 Constitution.

In a letter dated September 24, 2025, and signed by the Acting Director of Corporate Affairs, Jerry Sarfo, GTEC confirmed the restoration of services. “Following the evidence provided by the Registrar of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), complying with the directive issued by GTEC on the 19th of September 2025, as well as Prof. Johnson Boampong taking the case in court, GTEC, with immediate effect, restores all services that were earlier withdrawn to UCC,” the letter stated. The Commission also announced that UCC had been reinstated on its website as a fully accredited institution.

The impasse between UCC and GTEC threatened to disrupt academic and administrative activities, potentially affecting more than 70,000 students and 4,000 staff. At the centre of the dispute was GTEC’s directive for Prof. Boampong to retire, arguing that he had reached the compulsory retirement age in line with Article 199(1) of the Constitution. Prof. Boampong, however, maintains that his two-year contract extension—granted from August 2024 to July 2026—was lawful under Article 199(4) and the UCC statutes, which permit post-retirement engagement under specific conditions.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) urged dialogue to resolve the matter. UTAG’s UCC branch president, Dr. Jerry Opoku Ansah, stressed that the punitive measures were not in the interest of any party and would only worsen the situation, with students and workers bearing the brunt. Similarly, UCC’s Head of Legal, Solomon Faakye, described GTEC’s action as premature, arguing that the case was already pending before the Cape Coast High Court and yet to be determined.

Professor Boampong was appointed Vice-Chancellor in August 2020 for a four-year term. In July 2023, his contract was extended by two years, but the following year, the UCC Council revoked the extension, citing constitutional retirement limits. A suit was subsequently filed challenging the decision, leading to an injunction by the Cape Coast High Court in October 2024, which prevented the revocation until a final ruling. A judicial review application to the Supreme Court by GTEC and UCC was later dismissed in February 2025.

While the restoration of services has brought relief to the university community, the final determination of the matter rests with the High Court, which is yet to rule on whether Prof. Boampong can lawfully continue in office. In the meantime, stakeholders remain hopeful that constructive engagement will prevail to safeguard the smooth running of academic and administrative operations at UCC.