Plaintiff in the suit against the decision of the University Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to appoint Prof Rita Akosua Dickson, a second term, has gone to the Court of Appeal.
Kofi Clement Ohene Asare, the plaintiff and applicant, has petitioned against the ruling of the Kumasi High court after his application had been dismissed.
The applicant had sought an order for perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from acting upon the decision of the University Council (second defendant/respondent) to renew the appointment of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson (third defendant/respondent) for a second term which renewed appointment takes effect on August 1, 2024, upon the expiry of her term of office.
But on July 30, 2024, the High Court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Frederick Tetteh, dismissed the application sought by the plaintiff on grounds that it lacked merits following doubts of the applicants capacity.
The court explained its position that the applicant failed to exhibit his membership card to confirm his claim that he is an alumnus of KNUST, the first defendant /respondent for which he claims he is bound to ensure scrupulous compliance with statutes and law governing the University.
A notice of appeal filed by the applicant explained that the trial court disregarded binding descriptions of statute and thus occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
The applicant contended that the refusal of the Court to grant the injunction sought is contrary to settled fundamental principles of law and that the ruling is against the evidence adduced on record.
A motion on notice has since been filed to move the Appellate Court on August 13, 2024 for an order to stay the execution of the Order of July 30, 2024 by the Trial court.
Kofi Clement Ohene Asare argued that there are legally triable and fundamental issues which need to be determined by the Appellate Court since the appeal has a greater and more reasonable chance of success.
He prayed the Appellate Court to grant the appeal in order not to be seen to be endorsing illegality and the fact that no court of law should grant immunity to an erring party as the defendants/respondents.
The applicant’s application is based on his conviction that the Appellate Court has the power to grant the application and thereby stay the execution of the ruling of the Trial Court on July 30, 2024.
On Thursday, June 20, 2024, the Office of the Registrar of KNUST announced the decision taken by the University’s Council in a communiqué offering the Vice Chancellor a second term at the post and thus leads the university in quality education for the next two years with her appointment expiring on July 31, 2026.
Mrs. Dickson is a Professor of Pharmacognosy and served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University before making history as the first female VC. She is also an alumna of the University. E N D
