The Governing Council of the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) has formally removed Prof Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa as Vice Chancellor following an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and has confirmed Prof Ebenezer Malcalm as his replacement.
The decision was communicated to the university community through a circular signed by GCTU Registrar Emmanuel Baidoo, who stated that the Council, chaired by Ing Divine Kpetigo, approved two actions at its emergency sitting: the cessation of Prof Afoakwa’s engagement as Vice Chancellor, and the appointment of Prof Malcalm to exercise the functions of the office.
The circular confirmed that both decisions have been affirmed by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the statutory regulatory body for all tertiary institutions in the country.
The removal had been in motion for weeks. Prof Afoakwa, who served at GCTU on secondment, had been notified at the start of February 2026 that his secondment was due to expire on February 28, 2026, and that he was expected to proceed on voluntary retirement on the same date. A letter dated February 26, 2026, from Governing Council Chairman Ing Kpetigo to Registrar Baidoo formally stated that Prof Afoakwa would no longer be authorised to act as Vice Chancellor from February 28.
The emergency meeting on March 3 was convened amid considerable tension on campus. Prof Afoakwa was initially barred from attending the council session. He defied the exclusion and entered the council chamber, prompting the chairman to deploy armed police personnel to remove him. Heated exchanges were heard from inside the council chamber, and a heavy police presence, including armed patrols and National Security operatives, was deployed across the campus to contain the situation.
Prof Malcalm, who had most recently served as Acting Pro Vice Chancellor at GCTU, formally handed over his role as Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) to Prof Frank Gyimah Sackey on February 6, 2026, ahead of the leadership transition.
Prof Afoakwa, a Professor of Food Science and Technology, had previously served as Interim Vice Chancellor and President of the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC) before the institution transitioned into GCTU as a public university.
