The Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana(UTAG) has threatened to back out of the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC) merger.
This, according to them, is due to the slow pace and the lack of clarity in the merger deal.
The merger between GIJ, the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), and the Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL) to form UniMAC was officially announced in December 2022.
The North Dzorwulu campus of GIJ is the physical location and address of UniMAC.
In a brief released to the students after an emergency meeting, the Association said failure to act swiftly on the statutes would leave them no option but to push for GIJ’s withdrawal from the merger.
“We are convinced that the merger cannot proceed without the statute, hence, we resolve to mount pressure on the interim council to attach much more seriousness to the enactment of the statute, to forestall the impending confusion and anxiety on our campuses, as a result of the excesses of the UniMAC management.
“Failure to act swiftly on the statutes will give us no option than to protest for GIJ’s withdrawal from the merger,” the statement signed by the president of UTAG-GIJ, Kodwo Jonas Anson Boateng, said.
The statement also raised the issue of the financial burden on GIJ, which seems to be bearing the majority of the cost of running the university.
“That we impress on the government to release funds to run UniMAC and ease the burden on GIJ, which seems to be bearing the majority of, if not all, the costs associated with running the new university, and hasten the drafting of the UniMAC Statutes,” it added.
“The government, interim council, and management of UniMAC would be given up to 28 February 2023 to act on our demands,” the statement said.
UTAG-GIJ is also demanding a separation of GIJ’s funds from UniMAC’s funds, a definition of the distinct roles of Acting Rector of GIJ, Registrar, and VC of UNIMAC as regards the running of GIJ, integration of UTAG-GIJ/UniMAC into the Interim Council and ultimately trigger actions towards amendment of portions of the UniMAC Act.