UEW Scandal: Ex-VC, Council Chair, and Two Others Convicted for Contempt — Court Reinstates Registrar

UEW Scandal: Ex-VC, Council Chair, and Two Others Convicted for Contempt — Court Reinstates Registrar

In a landmark ruling that has shaken the administrative foundations of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), the Winneba High Court has convicted four top university officials for criminal contempt and reinstated the institution’s embattled Registrar, Surv. Paul Osei Barimah Esq. Her Ladyship Justice Marian Gyasi Jahwary, an Appeals Court Judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following months of intense legal battles.

Those convicted include former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mawuto Avoke, former Governing Council Chairman Nana Ofori Ansah, Finance Officer Dr. Theophilus Ackorli, and Acting Registrar Mrs. Wilhelmina Tetteh Mensah. Each was slapped with a GH¢2,000 fine for defying legal processes in their handling of disciplinary actions against Mr. Barimah.

The Court nullified the dismissal of Mr. Barimah and ruled that all actions taken against him by the UEW Disciplinary Committee and Board were invalid. Barimah is to be reinstated immediately as the substantive Registrar of the university.

The controversy dates back to May 2022 when Mr. Barimah was directed to proceed on what was described as accumulated leave — a move initiated by Nana Ofori Ansah and executed by Prof. Avoke. Following what he described as procedural injustice, Barimah challenged his removal in court after exhausting internal redress mechanisms.

In a scathing judgment, the Court condemned the UEW officials for acting in blatant disregard of ongoing judicial proceedings. Reports indicated that Barimah’s office and residence were forcibly barricaded before his dismissal — actions now deemed unlawful and contemptuous.

In a related judgment on May 19, 2025, the same court also ruled in favour of Mr. Patrick Asante Nnuro, UEW’s former Head of Legal Services. His 2022 dismissal was declared unlawful, with the court ordering the university to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances, along with GH¢40,000 in compensation and GH¢50,000 in legal costs.

These back-to-back verdicts cast a spotlight on serious governance and procedural lapses within UEW’s top management. They raise fundamental questions about accountability and adherence to due process in Ghana’s public universities.