Technical University lecturers want same conditions as university teachers

The Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), has demanded that the government migrates them onto the same conditions of service as their counterparts in traditional public universities of face their wrath.

In an interview on Citi TV the Chairman of the Greater Accra branch of TUTAG, Ibrahim Zubairu said government’s failure to do so is politically motivated.

He argued that the Akufo-Addo-led government is not showing enough commitment towards their concerns because the erstwhile Mahama administration started the process of converting polytechnics into technical universities.

“They don’t respect anybody in the technical universities because they didn’t convert polytechnics into technical Universities. You have a government adviser to the ministries about universities telling us that the former government didn’t think through the change from polytechnics into technical universities.”

This has led the to the group declaring an indefinite sit-down strike on Wednesday (September 13, 2018). The members of TUTAG have vowed to only return to their lecture halls when their demands are met.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State-In-Charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, has given an assurance that the concerns of TUTAG will be addressed.

“It’s part of the transition process; from polytechnics to technical Universities as part of processes involving changes in governance structure and change in statute. Also the capacity building aspect of it as far as change or upgrading the conditions of service which are currently ongoing and has not been completed. They know that it is a policy that the government is pursuing, but it is just that the processes have not been completed yet, so we urge them to be patient with the government because it is part of the transition.”

Conversion of polytechnics to technical universities

Former President Mahama promised to convert all 10 polytechnics into technical universities ahead of the 2012 general elections.

The purpose of the conversion was to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

In 2016, a technical committee on the conversion of polytechnics to technical universities announced its decision to convert all polytechnics into technical universities and went ahead to conclude same.