Coup D'état At Gbewaa College Director-General Of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission Fingered

The anti-corruption crusader and private investigator has petitioned the Minister of Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, for an urgent investigation into the directive for the removal and handing over of the Principal of Gbewaa College of Education in Pusiga, as well as the apparent contradictions in the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) directive.

The petition was copied to the Chairman of the Council, Gbewaa College of Education, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Registrar of Gbewaa College of Education.

In a two-page petition intercepted by the Africa TODAY NEWS newspaper, a concerned citizen and private investigator—who has taken a keen interest in issues of accountability, fairness, and the protection of Ghana's public institutions—focused particularly on institutions responsible for educating and training the nation's future teachers.

He respectfully petitions your Ministry to urgently intervene in and investigate the circumstances surrounding the sudden removal and handing-over directive issued against Principal of Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga, Dr. Halidu Musah.

According to him, his concern is not merely about the change of leadership at the college. 

He noted that the fundamental issue is the manner in which the change has been effected, the absence of any clearly articulated wrongdoing on the part of the Principal, and the apparent contradictions contained in the correspondence relied upon by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

He asked what exact offense Dr. Halidu Musah has committed, noting that Dr. Musah has reportedly served as Principal of Gbewaa College of Education for approximately five years. 

He stresses that if, during that period, the Principal has committed any misconduct, financial impropriety, administrative offense, or other breach warranting his removal, the appropriate authorities should clearly state the allegation, investigate it, and afford him a fair opportunity to respond.

"But if there is no finding of misconduct against him, it is difficult for a principal—who is still serving his legal term approved by the governing council and by the same GTEC—to be suddenly removed, not by the governing council, but by a regulator that, in law, does not have the appointing or dismissing mandate.

He asserted that it is also mind blowing that a Principal who has managed a public teacher-training institution for years should suddenly be subjected to what effectively amounts to a marching order, accompanied by an immediate demand for the surrender of the institution's property by 5pm same day of his removal.

According to petitioner, the issue becomes even more troubling if the decision is being justified principally by the alleged expiration of his secondment, while the official correspondence concerning that secondment itself appears internally inconsistent.

The petition stresed that the apparent contradiction in the GTEC correspondence, adding that the GTEC correspondence reportedly refers to an earlier renewal of Dr. Musah's secondment from UTAS as a “final one (1) year”, commencing on August 1, 2025 and ending on 30 September 2026.

However, the petition noted thar the subsequent correspondence treats his secondment as having expired on Monday August 31 2026 and directs that he hand over the administration of the College.

According to the petition, this raises a straightforward question: How can a secondment described as a final one-year period running from 1 August 2025 to 30 September 2026 be regarded as having expired on 31 August 2026?

The petition said this is not a trivial clerical matter. It goes directly to the legal and administrative basis upon which the Principal was removed.

The petition notes the Ministry should therefore demand clarification from the commission which date is correct, what instrument authorised the secondment, what the actual terms were, and how the apparent discrepancy arose.

The petition said the extraordinary urgency of the handover, the College Registrar's letter dated 2 September 2026 states that Dr. Musah is required to return all College property by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.

The petition asserted that the items include the official vehicle, vehicle trackers, CCTV passwords, office keys and other College property in his custody. 

According to the petition, the GTEC letter, in turn, states that Dr. Emmanuel Issah Azuuga has assumed office as Acting Principal and directs that the former Principal's College property be retrieved and accounted for to Council. 

The petition respectfully asked why such an urgent and sweeping directive was necessary. It questioned whether there were allegations that Dr. Musah intended to abscond with College property, or if there were claims of financial misconduct, abuse of office, an adverse audit report, or an ongoing disciplinary proceeding with findings against him.

The petition stressed that if none of these circumstances existed, the Ministry ought to seek an explanation from Prof. Ahmed Abdullai Jinapor as to why the process was conducted in a manner that could reasonably be perceived as punitive or humiliating.

Furthermore, the petition emphasized the need for due process and administrative fairness, noting that even when an institution has the lawful authority to change its leadership, public administration must always be guided by fairness, transparency, and accountability.

It added that if the issue was simply the expiration of a secondment, the authorities should state so plainly and produce the relevant secondment instrument. If, on the other hand, there were allegations against Dr. Musah, those allegations should be fully disclosed to him, and he should be given a meaningful opportunity to respond.

"What should not happen," the petition stated, "is for an individual to be removed under circumstances that leave the public wondering whether there is an undisclosed allegation, an administrative misunderstanding, or simply a determination to remove him at all costs."

Finally, it stressed that the Ministry must protect the integrity of Ghana's teacher-training institutions, concluding that Gbewaa College of Education is not the private property of any individual, political party, or public official, but a public institution established to train Ghana's teachers.

The petition saud the leadership of such an institution must therefore be determined by law, evidence, competence, and due process, rather than by personalities, pressure, or undisclosed considerations, the petition reads. 

The petition stated that a decision that appears procedurally questionable affects not only Dr. Musah, but also potentially undermines the confidence of staff, students, the College Council, and the people of Pusiga in Ghana's tertiary education administration.

Below is the petition 

The The Honorable Minister

Ministry of Education

Accra, Ghana.

Dear Honorable Minister,

PETITION FOR URGENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE DIRECTIVE FOR THE REMOVAL AND HANDING OVER OF THE PRINCIPAL OF GBEWAA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, PUSIGA, AND THE APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS IN THE GTEC DIRECTIVE

I write as a concerned citizen and private investigator who has taken a keen interest in issues of accountability, fairness and the protection of Ghana's public institutions, particularly institutions responsible for educating and training the nation's future teachers.

I respectfully petition your Ministry to urgently intervene in, and investigate, the circumstances surrounding the sudden removal and handing-over directive issued against Dr. Halidu Musah, Principal of Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga.

My concern is not merely about the change of leadership at the College. 

The fundamental issue is the manner in which the change has been effected, the absence of a clearly articulated wrongdoing on the part of the Principal, and the apparent contradictions contained in the correspondence relied upon by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

1. What exactly has Dr. Halidu Musah done wrong?

Dr. Musah has reportedly served as Principal of Gbewaa College of Education for approximately five years.

If, during that period, he has committed any misconduct, financial impropriety, administrative offence or other breach warranting his removal, then the appropriate authorities should clearly state the allegation, investigate it and afford him a fair opportunity to respond.

But if there is no finding of misconduct against him, it is difficult for a principal who is still serving his legal term approved by the governing council, and approved by the same GTEC to be suddenly removed not by the governing council but a regulator, that in law does not have the appointing or dismissing mandate. It is also mind blowing that a Principal who has managed a public teacher-training institution for years should suddenly be subjected to what effectively amounts to a marching order, accompanied by an immediate demand for the surrender of the institution's property by 5pm same day of his removal.

The issue becomes even more troubling if the decision is being justified principally by the alleged expiration of his secondment, while the official correspondence concerning that secondment itself appears internally inconsistent

.

2. The apparent contradiction in the GTEC correspondence

The GTEC correspondence reportedly refers to an earlier renewal of Dr. Musah's secondment from UTAS as a “final one (1) year”, commencing on 1 August 2025 and ending on 30 September 2026.

However, the subsequent correspondence treats his secondment as having expired on 31 August 2026 and directs that he hand over the administration of the College.

This raises a straightforward question:

How can a secondment described as a final one-year period running from 1 August 2025 to 30 September 2026 be regarded as having expired on 31 August 2026?

This is not a trivial clerical matter. It goes directly to the legal and administrative basis upon which the Principal was removed.

The Ministry should therefore demand clarification from the commission which date is correct, what instrument authorised the secondment, what the actual terms were, and how the apparent discrepancy arose.

3. The extraordinary urgency of the handover

The College Registrar's letter dated 2 September 2026 states that Dr. Musah is required to return all College property by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.

The items include the official vehicle, vehicle trackers, CCTV passwords, office keys and other College property in his custody. 

The GTEC letter, in turn, states that Dr. Emmanuel Issah Azuuga has assumed office as Acting Principal and directs that the former Principal's College property be retrieved and accounted for to Council. 

I respectfully ask:

Why was such an urgent and sweeping directive necessary?

Was there an allegation that Dr. Musah intended to abscond with College property?

 Was there an allegation of financial misconduct?

 Was there an allegation of abuse of office?

 Was there an adverse audit report?

 Was there a disciplinary proceeding?

 Was there a finding against him?.

If none of these exists, the Ministry ought to seek explanation from Prof Ahmed Abdullai Jinapor why the process was conducted in a manner that could reasonably be perceived as punitive or humiliating.

4. Due process and administrative fairness

Even where an institution has the lawful authority to change its leadership, public administration must be guided by fairness, transparency and accountability.

If the issue is simply the expiration of a secondment, then the authorities should say so plainly and produce the relevant secondment instrument.

If, on the other hand, there are allegations against Dr. Musah, then those allegations should be disclosed to him and he should be given a meaningful opportunity to respond.

What should not happen is for an individual to be removed under circumstances that leave the public wondering whether there is an undisclosed allegation, an administrative misunderstanding, or simply a determination to remove him at all costs.

5. The Ministry must protect the integrity of Ghana's teacher-training institutions

Gbewaa College of Education is not the private property of any individual, political party or public official. It is a public institution established to train Ghana's teachers.

The leadership of such an institution must therefore be determined by law, evidence, competence and due process, rather than personalities, pressure or undisclosed considerations.

A decision that appears procedurally questionable does not only affect Dr. Musah. It potentially affects the confidence of staff, students, the College Council and the people of Pusiga in Ghana's tertiary education administration.

That, isn’t it an abuse of legal mandate of the GTEC that in the existence of Governing Council in a tertiary institution, the GTEC is seen to have the mandate to appoint or dismiss the Principal. Instructively, D-G of GTEC bypassing Governing Council to dismiss a Principal is nothing less a usurpation of the mandate of the Governing Council, and that shouldn’t be accepted.

Respectfully Sir, one might question the context of GTEC letter to handover. Because the said letter riddled with contradictions is premised on the Principal's secondment, meanwhile, the principal has been given leave of absence from his university effective 1st September 2026, to continue to serve his legal tenure as Principal until August 31st, 2029.

Why is the D-G of GTEC not considering that leave of absence letter but rather fixated on an ended secondment?

6. My humble Plea

In the circumstances, I respectfully request that the Honourable Minister:

 Cause an urgent independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the removal of Dr. Halidu Musah as Principal of Gbewaa College of Education.

 Direct GTEC to explain the apparent contradiction between the stated duration of his secondment and the subsequent assertion that his secondment expired on 31 August 2026.

 Obtain and examine the original secondment and renewal instruments between UTAS, Dr. Musah and the relevant authorities.

 Establish whether the decision to remove him was made by the proper authority and in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations and conditions governing his appointment and secondment.

 In view of the above, it is my fervent and humble prayer that you cause the reinstatement of the Principal to serve his remaining tenure of 3 years of his second term that was sanctioned by the Governing Council Sir.

Conclusion

Honourable Minister, this petition is not intended to shield any public official from legitimate accountability.

If Dr. Halidu Musah has committed an offence or misconduct, let the evidence speak and let the appropriate disciplinary process take its course.

But if he has done nothing wrong, and his removal is solely the consequence of an administrative decision based upon the expiration of his secondment, then the Ministry owes him and the Ghanaian public a clear, consistent and credible explanation of the legal basis for that decision.

It cannot be satisfactory for a public institution to issue correspondence containing an apparent contradiction concerning the very period upon which the removal is based and then proceed with an immediate handover without adequately resolving that contradiction.

The question I respectfully place before the Honourable Minister is therefore simple:

Is this how Ghana should treat a Principal who has spent approximately five years managing a teacher-training institution with nothing short of excellence and an unprecedented developmental projects, particularly where no established wrongdoing has been publicly identified against him?

Public institutions must not only act lawfully; they must also be seen to act fairly.

I therefore respectfully urge the Honourable Minister to treat this matter as one requiring urgent administrative scrutiny and independent investigation, in the interest of Dr. Musah, the College, its students and staff, and the integrity of Ghana's tertiary education system.

Yours faithfully,

EMT. LAWAL L. FUSEINI

Private Investigator & Anti-Corruption Crusader

Concerned Citizen & An indigene of Pusiga

Cc:

 Chairman, Council, Gbewaa College of Education

 Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)

 Registrar, Gbewaa College of Education