The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has appealed to the government to reconsider its freeze on employment and grant public universities and other higher educational institutions a special dispensation for them to fill vacancies in their academic staff.
He said the government’s policy on recruitment, in recent times, made it difficult for the universities to recruit new staff or replace those who had retired or died, as well as introduce new and strategic programmes.
As a result, the Asantehene said some public universities were considering cutting down intake in the coming years and cautioned that if nothing was done about the situation, it could put strenuous pressure on current staff and thereby impede academic work.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was speaking at the final leg of a six-day 49th congregation of the various colleges of KNUST in Kumasi Friday.
A total of 8,179 students made up of 2,684 females and 5,495 males graduated from the university after pursuing various courses.
They also included 564 postgraduates and 41 phDs.
The Asantehene also noted that the changing pattern of financing higher education in recent times was influencing the mission of higher education and having an impact on staff and students.
