St Vincent College of Education Closure Sparks Controversy

The St Vincent College of Education in Yendi has been closed down by the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II, due to a disagreement over the appointment of a new principal.

The college’s governing board allegedly ignored the Overlord’s recommendation to prioritize indigenous candidates for the position.

According to Alhassan Abdul-Fataw, Registrar of the Dagbon Traditional Council, the board failed to honor their pledge to consider the Overlord’s request.

“Since the establishment of the college, no Dagomba or indigene has been appointed as principal,” he explained.

Abdul-Fataw added that the indigenes are equally qualified and deserving of the opportunity.

The closure has sparked concerns among students, particularly final-year students who are currently on campus working on their project work.

Christopher Majah, Public Relations Officer of the Student Representative Council (SRC), called for a dialogue between the authorities and the Dagbon Traditional Council to resolve the impasse.

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has described the closure as unfortunate and called for calm.

Professor Francis K. E. Nunoo, Deputy Director-General of GTEC, assured that the commission is working with stakeholders to find an amicable solution to the problem.

The commission respects the traditional authorities’ role as partners in education delivery, Prof. Nunoo said.

He was quoted as saying, “We pray that together, we will work to ensure that the economy and education in the various areas are sustained.”