The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed public officers serving in leadership positions at tertiary educational institutions to resign from any political party executive roles or relinquish their public appointments.
The directive, issued to governing councils and management of tertiary institutions, seeks to ensure compliance with constitutional and statutory provisions governing political neutrality within Ghana’s public service.
In a statement signed by its Deputy Director-General, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, GTEC said the directive applies to vice-chancellors, principals, pro vice-chancellors, vice-principals, registrars, directors of finance, deans, heads of department and other senior officials in public tertiary institutions.
“Accordingly, GTEC wishes to remind all heads of tertiary education institutions to ensure full compliance with these legal requirements,” the statement said.
The Commission cited Section 26 of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574), which prohibits chiefs and public officers from canvassing for or against political parties or candidates seeking public office.
According to GTEC, the law also bars public officers from holding executive positions in political parties to prevent actual or perceived conflicts between their official duties and partisan political interests.
“These provisions are intended to safeguard the neutrality and integrity of the public service and to prevent situations that may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts between official responsibilities and partisan political interests,” the statement noted.
The Commission also referred to the long-standing position of the Public Services Commission, which requires public officers wishing to engage in active partisan politics or accept political party executive positions to first resign from their public offices.
“The Public Services Commission has consistently reiterated that public officers who intend to engage in active party politics or assume political party executive positions are expected to relinquish their public office before doing so, in accordance with the applicable constitutional and statutory provisions,” GTEC stated.
The Commission expressed concern over reports that some heads and senior managers of public tertiary institutions continue to hold executive positions in political parties while occupying public office.
It warned that such conduct undermines the principles of political neutrality, impartiality and public confidence expected of leaders in Ghana’s public tertiary education system.
“As institutions within Ghana’s public tertiary education system, it is imperative that institutional leaders uphold the principles of political neutrality, impartiality and public confidence in the administration of higher education,” the statement said.
GTEC urged all tertiary institutions to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and political neutrality in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities, adding that adherence to the directive would promote the effective and efficient management of Ghana’s public tertiary education system.
