I’ve Not Been Ordered to Park My Benz – Suspended Wa Poly Rector

The embattled Rector of the Wa Polytechnic, Professor Emmanuel Marfo-Owusu, says he will not park his Mercedez Benz because he is not aware of any directive asking him to do so.

It was reported that the Wa Polytechnic Governing Council had ordered him to stop using his Mercedes Benz, which is alleged to cost GHc 500,000, that is at the centre of protests by lecturers of the school.

But Prof Marfo-Owusu told Citi News, no directive has been given him to park the car, hence his reluctance to follow suit.

“I have not received any letter from the Governing Council that I should pack the car and it is just something that the council chairman is fabricating. If there is anything like they mean what they are saying, they should come forward and tell me, otherwise I will just say that there is no truth in whatever they are saying,” he said.

Background

Last Monday, some angry lecturers at the Wa Polytechnic prevented Prof. Emmanuel Marfo-Owusu from accessing the campus and subsequently his office.

Among other things, the lecturers have alleged that the embattled rector procured the vehicle for himself without approval from the Governing Council.

An independent committee has been set up to investigate the allegations.

Prof. Owusu was suspended by a special committee comprising members of the Polytechnic Governing Council, who were tasked to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement leveled against him.

He has however filed a suit seeking to quash his suspension.

Prior to a ruling on his suit, there was chaos at the Polytechnic after some staff locked out Professor Marfo-Owusu, and chased him out of the campus, accusing him of intimidating workers among other things.

The Chairman of the Wa Polytechnic chapter of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG), Mubash Bamie, speaking on behalf of teaching and non-teaching staff of the school, maintained that Prof. Owusu did not deserve to serve in that position given that he had been indicted in some corrupt deals.

Mr. Bamie said workers will repeat a similar action if the Rector returns, saying “if he comes we will block the roads again.”

Prof. Owusu has blamed the Education Minister Matthew Opoku for his woes, saying the Minister was inconsiderate when he approved his suspension without giving him a fair hearing.