Accra, May 31, GNA - The Council of the University of Ghana has varied its decision asking the Vice-Chancellor Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere to proceed on his terminal leave on June 1 2005 or get sacked.
A statement Mr F. K. Yeboah, Acting Secretary of the Council, signed and made available to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, said; to ensure that the disciplinary process and its final outcome are transparent and fair to all concerned, Council by consensus, decided to vary some of its earlier decisions".
This is directly opposite to what a section of the media reported that all the 13 members of the Council had not shown any inclination to change the earlier decision.
The Vice-Chancellor is now asked "to step aside with effect from June 8 2005 until the committees set up to deal with disciplinary issues raised by the Mfodwo Committee submit their reports and Council ratifies their recommendations for appropriate action.
"Council is to ensure that every effort is made to facilitate the work of the disciplinary committees so that they can conclude their assignment in the shortest possible time.
"As provided for in The Statutes, in the absence of the Vice-Chancellor, the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor C. N. B. Tagoe, shall act as Vice-chancellor", the statement said.
The statement said the University Council met on Thursday 26 May under the chairmanship of the Chancellor Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II to conclude its deliberations on the Vice-Chancellors petitions against the Council's decision taken at its meeting held on May 5 2005.
The statement said the Vice-Chancellor accepted full responsibility for the various weaknesses and lapses identified by the Mfodwo Committee as factors that facilitated the malpractices associated with the 2004 - 2005 First Semester Examinations.
The statement said: "Council gave due consideration to various positive developments recorded by the University under the Vice-Chancellor's leadership. Council also expressed satisfaction with actions being taken by the Vice-Chancellor and the Academic Board to address the systemic weaknesses identified in both the Mfodwo and Konu Committees' Reports."
In another development Prof Asenso-Okyere in a statement on Tuesday said he would leave for the United Kingdom and Germany on official business on June 3.
He said he would be away from June 3 to June 9, 2005. He said he would be stepping aside with effect from June 8, 2005 until the committees set up to deal with disciplinary issues raised by the Mfodwo Committee submitted their reports and the University Council ratified their recommendations for appropriate action.
The Vice-Chancellor announced the following administrative arrangements: "Professor C. N. B. Tagoe, the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor, would act as Vice-Chancellor; Professor Anna Reynolds Barnes, Acting Provost of College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, would act as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, until further notice." He appealed to the University community to cooperate with the officers in the discharge of their duties.