A motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction has been filed at the High Court in Tamale restraining the University for Development Studies (UDS), its Council Chairman, and Registrar from announcing Professor Seidu Al-Hassan as the new vice-chancellor of UDS.
The motion was filed on Thursday, June 09, by Victor Kodjoga Adawudu, Counsel for Emmanuel Osabutey, a former student of UDS, who is the plaintiff.
The motion, a copy of which has been seen by the Ghana News Agency, is praying the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Professor Seidu Al-Hassan from holding himself as the new Vice-Chancellor of UDS until the final determination of the matter by the court.
It is also praying the court for an order restraining the UDS, Professor Wayo Seini, UDS Council Chairman, and the University Council from ratifying and approving Professor Seidu Al-Hassan as the new Vice-Chancellor of UDS until the Search Committee’s Report was discussed and approved by the Members of the University Council in accordance with the law.
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The case is to be moved on July 05, 2022.
The tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor of UDS, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, will expire at the end of August, this year.
In view of this, the Governing Council of UDS inaugurated a Search Committee in December, 2021 to look for a suitable candidate to take over the office.
The Search Committee had interviewed about three applicants for the position and was to present its report by May 31, this year.
However, GNA has seen an appointment letter dated June 1, 2022, announcing Professor Seidu Al-Hassan as the new Vice-Chancellor to assume office on September 1, 2022, for a four-year term.
The appointment letter, which was written and signed by the Chairman of the UDS Governing Council, Professor Wayo Seini, said the appointment of Professor Al-Hassan was based on the “Overall outcome of the thorough and extensive work done by the Search Committee.”
However, some Members of the UDS Council accused the Council Chairman of breaching the laws and statutes of the University by unilaterally announcing the new Vice-Chancellor.
They argued that based on the laws and statutes of UDS, it was only Council Members of UDS, who had the mandate to appoint Vice-Chancellors for the University but not the Council Chairman acting alone.
The University on June 03, issued a statement distancing itself from the Chairman’s appointment letter, saying it did not announce a new Vice-Chancellor.
However, on June 06, the Registrar of the University issued a disclaimer, which stated that the University did not issue any disclaimer that it had appointed a new Vice-Chancellor.