The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has officially declared the Teachers’ and Educational Workers’ Union under the Trade Union Congress (TEWU-TUC) as the sole recognised body to represent non-teaching staff on the Governing Councils of public universities across the country.
The decision, which followed extensive consultations and legal advice, was communicated in a directive signed by Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, Director-General of GTEC. Public universities have been instructed to proceed with swearing in TEWU-TUC representatives and to grant them all associated privileges.
The ruling effectively sidelines the breakaway Tertiary Education Workers’ Union of Ghana (TEWU-GH), which has been instructed not to present or maintain representation on any university governing council—even in cases where such representatives may have already been sworn in. GTEC’s decision is aimed at resolving an ongoing leadership tussle that has created confusion and disruption in tertiary institutions.
King James Azortibah, General Secretary of TEWU-TUC, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a long-awaited affirmation of the truth. “We have always known that our representation is grounded in law. This directive restores order and legality to university governance,” he said, noting that TEWU-TUC holds legal documentation proving its legitimacy as a trade union under the Ghana TUC.
He accused former executives who broke away to form TEWU-GH of violating union constitutional provisions. According to Azortibah, their attempt to retain leadership beyond permitted terms created internal conflict, leading to the splinter group’s formation.
The rift has caused particular unrest on campuses like the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University for Development Studies. In April, TEWU-GH at KNUST declared an indefinite strike over their exclusion from the university’s governing council—an action that followed the nomination of a TEWU-TUC representative in their place.
With GTEC’s intervention, universities are expected to implement the directive promptly and restore calm within the affected institutions.
