PRINCOF urges dialogue over calls for removal of GTEC leadership

The leadership of Ghana’s public colleges of education has entered the growing dispute between the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), urging restraint as tensions threaten to spill over into industrial action.

Sections of UTAG in the traditional public universities have, in recent day,s intensified calls for the resignation or removal of GTEC Director-General Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai and his Deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, accusing the commission’s leadership of governance failures. The development has raised concerns across the tertiary education sector about the potential impact on academic stability.

Against this backdrop, the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF), says the dispute requires careful handling rather than confrontation. The conference warned that the current tone of the debate risks hardening positions and deepening divisions within an already sensitive sector.

In a statement issued on February 2, 2026, PRINCOF acknowledged the concerns being raised by UTAG but questioned the timing and method of the demands being made. It cautioned that public ultimatums and strike threats could derail efforts at resolution before meaningful engagement begins.

“PRINCOF is of the view that the issues under reference require further engagement and that the calls being made at this time need sober reflection,” the conference said.

The principals argued that disagreements over regulation and leadership should be channelled through dialogue-driven processes rather than escalated through public pressure. According to PRINCOF, the tertiary education sector has established mechanisms specifically designed to address such disputes.

“We strongly advocate for resolution through dialogue and engagement rather than public ultimatums and signals of industrial action,” the statement stressed.

PRINCOF encouraged UTAG and other stakeholders to make use of the Ministry of Education and the GTEC Governing Board, noting that these bodies provide space for structured discussions and corrective action where necessary. It warned that imposing deadlines often narrows the room for compromise.

“The setting of deadlines and associated approaches tends to escalate tensions and risks undermining the stability of our educational institutions,” it added.

In a notable departure from the broader criticism levelled at GTEC, PRINCOF offered its own experience working with the commission’s leadership. The conference said its engagements with Prof. Jinapor Abdulai and Prof. Ocloo have been marked by accessibility and openness to discussion.

“PRINCOF has consistently worked with GTEC under the leadership of Prof. Jinapor and Prof. Ocloo and have found their doors always open to engagement and dialogue,” the statement noted.

The conference concluded by appealing for calm across the tertiary education landscape, warning that prolonged conflict could erode public confidence in higher education governance.

“We therefore call for cool heads to prevail. Now is the time for reasoned dialogue,” PRINCOF said, urging government, regulators and academic staff to work together “in a manner that preserves the integrity of our tertiary education system and promotes national development.”