Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, Vice-Chancellor of the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), has allegedly been denied access to his office despite a High Court ruling that quashed the University Council’s decisions to terminate his appointment and suspend two other senior officers.
Professor Alnaa and the two officers, Mr Samuel Aduko, Director of Procurement, and Mr Tom Mboya Asigri, Director of Works and Physical Development, reported to the university on Monday to resume work but were unable to access their offices because the keys were not handed over to them.
According to the Vice Chancellor, they subsequently met Mr Richard Abugre Atiah, the Registrar, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and the Director of Finance, who explained that the university could not act on the court’s decision or directives from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) because of pending legal processes.
“The Registrar says that they cannot act on the directives of the GTEC … and that they cannot also implement the court decision because their lawyer says that they have filed a notice of a motion for stay of execution and a notice of appeal,” he said.
Professor Alnaa said the university authorities consequently refused to hand over the keys, compelling the three officers to leave without accessing their offices.
“A notice of appeal doesn’t mean that you have gone to the appeal court and the appeal court has granted it,” he said.
Professor Alnaa said the officers would consult their lawyer for advice on the next steps following the development.
He explained that after the entry of judgment was served on the Registrar, he had earlier sent his secretary and a departmental officer to collect the keys to his office, but they were allegedly denied access.
He said the explanation at the time was that the matter had to be referred to the University Council before the keys could be released.
However, he said the latest explanation that the council’s lawyer had advised against taking action suggested a change in the position of the university authorities.
Professor Alnaa expressed concern that the continued disagreement over the implementation of the court’s decision was affecting the university’s working environment and efforts to restore unity among staff.
“It doesn’t give us a good name and a healthy atmosphere. We are supposed to begin to unite the institution’s staff, but all this that is going on means that some people are being intransigent and being hardliners.
“Certain things which we would have come together to do quickly to promote the institution are still being delayed by this back-and-forth issue, which is not good at all,” he added.
The dispute between Professor Alnaa and the University Council dates back to December 2025, when the council directed him to proceed on accumulated annual leave from December 19, 2025, to December 18, 2026, citing the need to create space for reflection, reconciliation and the restoration of confidence within the university.
GTEC subsequently intervened and directed the council to stay the decision, describing the one-year leave arrangement as “unprecedented and potentially problematic”.
In February 2026, the council constituted a five-member Special Investigation Committee to investigate allegations relating to a GH¢27.97 million GETFund-financed procurement contract awarded to M-Business Services Limited in April 2024 and the alleged unauthorised disposal of 866 items of university furniture.
The council later relied on the committee’s findings to terminate Professor Alnaa’s appointment with effect from June 11, 2026. Two other senior officers were suspended.
Professor Alnaa challenged the council’s actions at the Bolgatanga High Court, arguing that the processes leading to his removal were unlawful.
The court found that the council did not form a quorum when it took the decisions affecting the three officers and that the Special Investigative Committee was illegally constituted.
It consequently granted an order of certiorari, quashing the council’s decisions and paving the way for Professor Alnaa and the two other officers to return to their respective positions.
When the Registrar of the University was contacted, he indicated that he could not speak to the issue and that Dr Bishop Akolgo, the Chairman of the University’s Council, was in the right position to respond.
However, Dr Akolgo noted that although there was a court ruling in favour of Professor Alnaa and the two others, the University had also filed a notice of a motion of appeal and a notice of stay of execution, and therefore could not act on any other ruling and would not comment further.