The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, to step aside immediately, citing a breach of the constitutional retirement age.
In a statement released on September 19, 2025, GTEC explained that Prof. Boampong, who has surpassed the compulsory retirement age of 60 years, is in contravention of Article 199(1) of the 1992 Constitution. The article states that:
“A public officer shall, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, retire from the public service on attaining the age of sixty years.”
According to GTEC, the position of Vice-Chancellor is classified as a public office under the University of Cape Coast Act, 1992 (PNDCL 278), meaning any individual occupying the role must retire upon reaching the age of 60.
The Commission also cited Statute 8.2 of the UCC Statutes, 2016, which makes it clear that a Vice-Chancellor cannot serve beyond the statutory retirement age, even if reappointed for another term.
Pending the outcome of a High Court case in Cape Coast challenging the matter, GTEC has instructed the UCC Governing Council to suspend the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor. In the interim, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto has been appointed as Acting Vice-Chancellor of UCC until the court delivers its ruling.
This directive has sparked significant discussion within Ghana’s higher education sector, as it highlights the strict enforcement of constitutional provisions on retirement age for public officers.
