COURT OVERTURNS BTU COUNCIL DECISION AND ORDERS SACKED VC BACK TO OFFICE

The Bolgatanga High Court has ordered the reinstatement of Bolgatanga Technical University Vice Chancellor Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa and two senior officers after declaring the process used by the university's Governing Council to remove and sanction them unlawful.

The ruling overturns a major decision by the Council that had terminated Prof. Alnaa's appointment and imposed sanctions on Director of Procurement Samuel Aduko and Director of Works and Physical Development Tom Mboya Asigri.

In its judgment, the court found that the Governing Council did not have the required quorum when it took the decisions against the three officials.

The court consequently ruled that the decisions arising from that meeting were unlawful.

It also found that the Special Investigative Committee established by the Council to investigate allegations involving procurement and financial management at the university had been illegally constituted.

The court granted Prof. Alnaa's application for an order of certiorari, effectively quashing the Council's decisions and clearing the way for the three officials to return to their respective positions.

The judgment marks a significant turn in a governance dispute that has affected Bolgatanga Technical University for months and involved the university's Council, management and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.

The controversy intensified after the Governing Council established a five member Special Investigation Committee in February to examine allegations connected to procurement activities at the university.

Among the issues examined was a GH¢27.97 million GETFund financed procurement contract awarded to M Business Services Limited in April 2024 for the supply of computers, furniture, printers and other items.

The Council had raised allegations of procurement breaches and financial mismanagement surrounding the transaction as well as concerns over the disposal of hundreds of items of university furniture.

Those allegations subsequently formed part of the process that resulted in action against Prof. Alnaa and other senior officials.

Prof. Alnaa's appointment was terminated with effect from June 11, 2026.

Aduko and Asigri were demoted and suspended for three months, while another official received a warning.

Prof. Alnaa challenged the Council's decision in court.

The High Court has now ruled that the procedure through which the decisions were reached was legally defective.

The judgment focused on the legality of the Governing Council's actions and the constitution of the investigative committee. It did not amount to a determination that the underlying procurement allegations were false.

Those allegations should therefore remain distinguished from the procedural issues decided by the court.

The dispute at BTU had begun months before Prof. Alnaa's eventual removal.

In December 2025, the Governing Council directed the Vice Chancellor to proceed on accumulated annual leave from December 19, 2025 until December 18, 2026.

The Council said the move was intended to create room for reflection and reconciliation amid tensions at the institution.

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission subsequently intervened and directed the Council to halt implementation of the decision.

GTEC maintained that Prof. Alnaa remained the substantive Vice Chancellor and described the proposed one year leave arrangement as unprecedented and potentially problematic.

The dispute later escalated with the establishment of the investigative committee and the eventual termination of the Vice Chancellor's appointment.

The controversy also spread beyond BTU, with the Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana suspending the university from some of its activities amid concerns over the processes surrounding the leadership dispute.

Thursday's High Court ruling now changes the immediate leadership situation at the university.

Prof. Alnaa, Aduko and Asigri are expected to return to their respective offices following the court's decision, subject to any subsequent legal or administrative action.

Reacting to the ruling, Prof. Alnaa described the judgment as an important development for the university and expressed hope that it would help restore stability to the institution.

The decision places renewed attention on governance and due process at Bolgatanga Technical University after months of uncertainty over its senior leadership.

It could also raise questions about what steps, if any, the Governing Council will take regarding the unresolved allegations that originally triggered the investigation.

For now, the court's position is clear. The Council did not have the required quorum when it acted, the investigative committee was unlawfully constituted, and the decisions flowing from that process have been quashed.