We’re sorry - UEW begs Ghanaians over Prof Nwagbara’s disparaging comments

Authorities of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) is begging Ghanaians to forgive them over the embarrassing comments of visiting Nigerian Professor, Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara.

A statement issued and signed by the Registrar of the University on Wednesday described his comments as disparaging about the country’s educational system thereby rendering an unqualified apology to the Ministry of Education and Ghana as a whole.

The Professor of English Language who is on sabbatical at the Department of Applied Linguistics since October 2018 is captured in a leaked video that making damning remarks about the educational system of the country.

He is reported to have said “If you asked a Nigerian to donate 50,000 Naira every year parents to contribute to that University they will go on a riot but same Nigerian will come here and pay 10,000 Naira to something 80% inferior to Nigeria. I have said and am placing it on authority site me anywhere no Ghanaian degree is 20% up to the quality of Nigerian degree except is from any of the not, you understand me”.



Read the full statement of UEW below;

1. The University of Education Winneba wishes to inform the general public that it has taken a very serious view of the video circulating on social media, involving Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara.

2. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara, a Professor of English Language, has been on sabbatical at the Department of Applied Linguistics since October, 2018.

3. In the said video, Prof. Nwagbara makes several unsavoury, unethical and damning comments about our country, its history as well as its educational system. The University totally dissociates itself from the grossly irresponsible comments and condemns it in no uncertain terms.

4. The University is highly disturbed by the huge embarrassment his unguarded statement has brought to the institution, the Ministry of Education, and, indeed, Ghana as a whole.

5. The University, upon receipt of the video, immediately invoked its internal disciplinary process to fully examine his conduct relative to the content of the video.

7. The University wishes to indicate that it has in the past hosted several scholars on sabbatical leave from various countries, including Nigeria, and same have conducted themselves with high degree of decorum and professionalism during their stay. Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara’s behaviour is totally deviant and an aberration that runs contrary to those of his predecessors or the others currently at post.

8. The University after subjecting Prof. Augustine Uzoma Nwagbara to internal disciplinary process finds him culpable of gross misconduct and has, accordingly, dismissed him.

9. The University apologises to Ghanaians for Prof. Nwagbara’s disparaging remarks about this country’s educational system and further indicates that the comments were full of factual inaccuracies.

Thank you

Signed

Registrar