The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) has exonerated the sacked Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Mawutor Avoke, in its latest report into his alleged management breaches.
The Report which investigated some six persons in all, was released on September 13, 2019, saying there was no evidence to establish any act of impropriety against the Officers.
It also dismissed allegations that under the watch of Prof. Avoke, the that the University failed to use national competitive tendering in the purchase of 8 pick-up trucks which cost the Institution eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis.
Other allegations against the embattled Vice Chancellor has been cleared by EOCO EOCO as unfounded, baseless and untrue.
This report means that the basis to which Prof. Avoke was removed has been invalidated would be in a position to return to his former post that has been controversially taken by the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anthony Afful-Broni.
The Efutu Member of Parliament in the Central Region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in May 2017 petitioned EOCO through the Education Minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, with 13 allegations against some principal officers of the University for mismanagement. The University council proceeded to questionably dismiss the accused officers.
However, after an exhaustive legal tussle, Alexander Afenyo-Markin made a dramatic U-turn to fight for the return of the sacked Prof Avoke. In JULY 2019, he led a siege to get rid of the current Vice-chancellor after he secured a High Court Injunction against him for holding himself up as the substantive VC.
This injunction meant that the former Vice-Chancellor Professor Avoke could make a comeback, particularly after the confirmation of the EOCO report.
This latest turn of event is coming after almost a year of having been hounded out and several months of being refused reinstatement despite Supreme Court ordering his return to post since October 31, 2018.
Late last year, the UEW Governing Council invited President Akufo Addo to Chair the investiture ceremony Professor Afful-Broni.
In 2017, a Winneba High Court ordered Prof Avoke, to step aside until a case
brought against him and the University’s Governing Council was determined.
The Governing Council subsequently dismissed Avoke and replaced him with Prof.
Afful-Broni despite a Supreme Court order squashing the move.