The Tertiary Education Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), KNUST Local, has raised concerns over what it describes as a “grave negligence” in the process of appointing a new Registrar for the University.
The Union is urging the Minister of Education and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to intervene and suspend the ongoing recruitment process, citing irregularities in the announced vacancy timeline.
At a press briefing Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the leadership of TEWU-GH, KNUST Local, led by Chairman Charles Arthur, highlighted discrepancies in the University’s official communications regarding the retirement of the current Registrar.
According to the Union, the KNUST Governing Council recently advertised the position of Registrar, stating that the role would become vacant on August 1, 2025. However, the same Council, in the University’s Recorder (No. 550, April-June 2024, Vol. 59, No. 6, page 13), indicated that the current Registrar’s tenure ends on October 31, 2025.
This inconsistency, the Union argues, suggests the University could end up with two Registrars simultaneously for a three-month period; a situation TEWU-GH describes as unprecedented in KNUST’s history.
“This is negligence on the part of the University Governing Council,” stated Charles Arthur, Chairman of TEWU-GH, KNUST Local. “We call on the Minister of Education and the Director-General of GTEC to immediately intervene by suspending all processes leading to the appointment of the Registrar and to set up a committee to investigate why this has occurred.”
The Union emphasised the need for transparency and fairness in the appointment process, stressing that such administrative oversights could undermine the credibility of the University’s leadership transitions.
TEWU-GH has urged GTEC and the Ministry of Education to step in promptly to rectify the situation, warning that failure to address the issue could set a problematic precedent for future appointments in Ghana’s tertiary institutions.
“We hope the intervention of the Minister and GTEC will ensure that due process is followed,” Arthur added.
Efforts to seek clarification on the matter from the University Council have not been successful.
As the controversy unfolds, stakeholders within KNUST and the broader educational sector await an official response from the University’s Governing Council, GTEC, and the Ministry of Education.
