The University for Development Studies (UDS) Local Branch of the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has formally declared its full and unqualified support for Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai as Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
In a statement signed by the President of UDS-GAUA, Dr. Stephany A. Adongo and issued on Thursday, January 29, 2026, the association described Professor Jinapor’s leadership as principled, courageous, and transformative, noting that his tenure has strengthened regulation, accountability, and governance within Ghana’s tertiary education sector.
GAUA said as a professional body representing senior administrative and professional staff in public universities, its members work closely with GTEC policies and are directly affected by regulatory decisions. According to the association, Professor Jinapor’s leadership has provided clarity, consistency and firm adherence to the law, which administrators consider essential for effective institutional management.
The association explained that GTEC’s role goes beyond routine administration, as it is central to national development, quality assurance and Ghana’s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. It added that the Director-General must balance academic freedom, institutional autonomy, fiscal discipline and regulatory enforcement, a task it believes Professor Jinapor has handled with distinction.
GAUA highlighted Professor Jinapor’s firm action against unaccredited programmes and institutions, including distance learning programmes run without approval. The association said such programmes undermine educational quality, exploit students and damage the international reputation of Ghanaian degrees, adding that GTEC’s renewed vigilance under his leadership has helped protect students and safeguard academic standards.
The statement also praised his intervention in matters of affordability and student welfare, citing the January 5, 2026 directive to the University of Ghana to reverse a proposed 25 percent fee increase or face sanctions. GAUA said the move demonstrated GTEC’s responsibility to ensure access and equity, especially for disadvantaged students, while balancing the financial challenges facing universities.
On governance, GAUA referenced developments at the University of Cape Coast, noting that Professor Jinapor’s insistence on adherence to statutory provisions, including retirement age limits, restored calm and stability. The association said enforcing the law should not be misconstrued as oppression but seen as necessary for predictability and effective university administration.
The UDS-GAUA rejected what it described as attempts by certain groups within the tertiary sector to vilify Professor Jinapor for carrying out his legal mandate. It warned that removing him at this stage would signal a retreat from reform, encourage mediocrity and threaten the credibility of Ghana’s higher education system.
The association therefore formally endorsed Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai as Director-General of GTEC and commended his record of principled and impactful leadership. It urged the government, the President and the Minister for Education to retain him in office, describing his experience and institutional memory as national assets.
GAUA also called on vice-chancellors, academic staff, students and other stakeholders to engage constructively with GTEC through dialogue and respect for the rule of law, while reaffirming its commitment to work with the commission to promote accountability, good governance and excellence across Ghana’s universities.
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