GCTU First Ever Appeals Board Inaugurated
Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) has sworn in its first ever Appeals Board to help investigate grievances among students, faculty and staff. The ceremony was held on Thursday, 15th June 2023, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Boardroom.
In his welcome address, the chairman of the university council, Prof. Kofi Awusabo-Asare, acknowledged the importance of the Appeals Board to the university. He insisted that having strong systems and institutions is the way to go for the development of the university. The Council Chairman acknowledged that as a human institution, the university is bound to have challenges. “But we don’t have to be firefighters and wait for something to happen before we start looking to see who there are to help us”, he said.
“That is why over the last three years we are trying to ensure that all the committees, boards and the systems that we are expected to put in place are being put in place,” Prof. Awusabu-Asare added.
The Appeals Board was constituted by the University Council as mandated by the GCTU Act 2020 Act 1022 which established the university. Section 41 mandates the university Governing Council to constitute a five-member board comprising of a retired Supreme Court Judge as chairman, two lawyers of at least 10 years standing and of high moral repute, one of whom must be a woman, and two non-lawyers of high moral integrity who are not employees of the university, one of whom must be a woman.
The Council Chairman was excited about the individuals appointed to the board and confident that with their credentials, experience and integrity, they would uphold a high standard of professionalism and impartiality when dealing with all cases in their purview.
The Council Chairman proceeded to swear in the newly appointed members of the board; justice A. A. Benin, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court as the Chairman, Mrs. Yaa Nyameye Gyakobo, a lawyer, Mr. John Yaw Opoku, a lawyer, Mr. Daniel Baidoo, a retired HR Practitioner and Ms. Genevieve Naayi Abban, an Investment Banker.
In his acceptance speech on behalf of the members of the board, the Chairman, Justice A. A. Benin (rtd) expressed his gratitude to the University Council for entrusting them with a responsibility of such magnitude. He pledged that the board would strive to administer justice fairly while upholding the university’s values and culture.
Justice Benin was convinced that with the calibre of people on the board, they will be able to discharge their responsibilities creditably. He added that with the university’s vision to become the best ICT institution not only in Ghana but the whole West African sub-region, it was bound to have a toll on staff, students and faculty.
“In executing its mandate with the aim of achieving these objectives, there might be occasions when members of the university community may feel aggrieved and seek redress at the Appeals Board,” he said.
He pledged that they will “use our collective knowledge, experience and skills to deal innovatively with the challenges to enable us develop the university to the highest standards.”
In the absence of a Legal Secretariat in the university, the Registrar and members of his secretariat were sworn in to act as Secretary and secretariat for the Board respectively.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, the Director of University Relations, Dr. Nusrat-Jahan Abubakar, Director of General Administration, Dr. Vera Graham Asante and some members of the University Relations Directorate.
The swearing-in ceremony was indeed a critical moment for the university, as it further establishes its commitment to promoting academic excellence while fostering a positive learning and working environment.
