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Tag: Bolgatanga Technical University

  • Bolgatanga Technical University grieves loss of Deputy registrar who was assassinated

    Bolgatanga Technical University grieves loss of Deputy registrar who was assassinated

    The Upper East region’s Bolgatanga Technical University management has expressed deep shock and sorrow over the tragic killing of the university’s Deputy Registrar and Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Alhassan Azumah.

    Unknown assailants fatally shot Mr. Azumah at his residence in Sokabisi, a suburb of Bolgatanga.

    In a statement issued on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Osei Boamah conveyed the profound pain felt by the university’s management, staff, and students in response to the incident.

    The statement strongly condemned the brutal murder and assured that the Upper East Regional Crime Office is actively investigating the unfortunate event.

    While emphasizing that Bolgatanga Technical University remains a secure environment for academic activities, the statement clarified that the incident is isolated and unrelated to the university’s operations.

    It urged the university community and the public to remain calm, allowing the police to conduct a thorough investigation to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

    “Management of the University strongly condemns in no uncertainty terms, the gruesome murder of its staff. Management wishes to assure all and sundry that, the unfortunate incident is under investigation by the Upper East Regional Crime Office, the statement added.

  • Bolga Technical University faces closure over retirement benefits

    Bolga Technical University faces closure over retirement benefits

    The Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) Branch of the Technical University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has raised concerns about the implementation of the new retirement benefit component in their conditions of service.

    Due to alleged ambiguity in the interpretation, the TUTAG-BTU branch has threatened to embark on an industrial action starting from July 31, 2023.

    The management of BTU seeks clarification on the end-of-service benefit (ESB) clause for Technical Universities to determine whether they should proceed with the payment of retirement benefits for the TUTAG-BTU branch.

    However, the TUTAG-BTU branch contends that Article 16 of the conditions of service clearly outlines the criteria for ESB, requiring payment after ten years of continuous service or upon reaching voluntary or compulsory retirement age, or in the event of death while in service.

    They also refer to Section 42, Clause 6 of the Technical Universities Act, 2016, Act 922 (As Amended), which unequivocally addresses the ESB for employees of polytechnics transitioning to Technical Universities.

    Having served letters to the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Vice Chancellor of BTU, the TUTAG-BTU branch insists on adhering to the interpretation enshrined in the Technical Universities Act and calls for immediate commencement of ESB payments based on the approved conditions of service, similar to other Technical Universities in the country.

    Failure to comply with their demands may result in a strike action beginning on July 31, 2023.

  • Bolgatanga Technical University fined for underselling water packaging machine

    Bolgatanga Technical University fined for underselling water packaging machine

    The Bolgatanga Technical University has been fined by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to pay a sum of GH4,000 for undervaluing a water packaging machine.

    The machine was purchased at the cost of GH¢10,000 ten years ago and later sold at GH¢6,000 cedis.

    According to the committee, the action of the management of the university has caused financial loss to the state hence the need for them to pay the difference.

    The University procured the machine to go into water production, however, the contractor who was charged to construct the building for the production site failed to honour the contract hence the inability of the university to make use of the

    .

    This came up during the first day of hearing in Tamale by the committee to consider the 2020 Auditor General’s Report on Technical Universities, Reports on the Management and Utilisation of District Assemblies’ Common Fund and other Statutory Funds for the year ended December 31, 2020, in the Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West and the Savanna Regions.

    Asked by the committee if they adhered to the auditors’ recommendation to put the machine to use, a representative from the University said, “Subsequent audits also indicated that we either put the machine in use or we dispose of it. We were having challenges in implementing it. We needed to construct a place to house the machine where we could produce the water from.

    He stressed, “We awarded the facility to a contractor alongside renovation with one of our blocks. The contractor couldn’t get his statutory payment certificate. He felt frustrated and abandoned the projects. With our limited resources, we couldn’t complete the structure, so we decided to dispose it, taking into consideration how long it has been sitting there”.

    The Committee said, “Your negligence and improper planning have caused the state GH¢4,000. I want to surcharge you with GH¢4,000. It’s supposed to be more than that but let’s maintain it”.