In a sharp rebuke, Professor Ransford Gyampo, President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the University of Ghana, has threatened legal action against Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), over what he describes as “baseless defamatory allegations.”
Salam Mustapha’s statement, titled “NDC and Prof. Gyampo Seek to Disenfranchise Ghanaian Students with UTAG Strike,” accused Professor Gymapo and UTAG of conniving with the opposition NDC in an attempt to prevent Ghanaian students from voting through their recent industrial action.
Prof. Gyampo, however, dismissed the allegations as unfounded and expressed his determination to challenge them in court.
Prof. Gyampo, a renowned academic and political commentator, expressed indignation at the ruling party’s Youth Organizer’s claims, refusing to grant them further visibility by repeating the details in public.
In a statement issued following Salam Mustapha’s remarks, Prof. Gyampo criticized the “boy,” a term he used to underscore what he perceives as Salam Mustapha’s lack of political maturity, for making allegations “about things I haven’t done.”
“Over the last five years, I have had many people who do not have substance, peddling falsehood about me, but I have been restrained by my lawyers from taking them on in the courts of law because, in their view, I shouldn’t be interested in suing men of straw.
“But this boy isn’t of straw. He is the National Youth Organizer of the NPP. I have therefore instructed my lawyers to file a legal suit against him and thankfully, they are more than happy to do the same”.
Professor Ransford Van Gyampo, President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana at the University of Ghana
The Straw of Accountability
Prof. Gyampo further vowed that he would “spend every pesewa” he has to see the case through, signalling his firm stance on holding political figures accountable for their words, particularly those he perceives as baseless and damaging to his reputation.
“He must be able to provide evidence to back the allegations he’s made against me,” Prof. Gyampo asserted, pledging to let the legal process “see how it goes“.
Supporting Professor Gyampo’s stance, Dr Jerry Joe Harrison, General Secretary of the University Teachers Association of Ghana at the University of Ghana, Legon, described Salam Mustapha’s statement as “ridiculous” and questioned the reasoning behind it.
Dr. Harrison expressed disappointment in the NPP, suggesting that the current Youth Organizer’s conduct contrasts sharply with the party’s historical reputation.
He recalled the more dignified approaches associated with influential figures of the ruling New Patriotic Party like Professor Adu Boahen and former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
According to Dr Harrison, Prof. Gyampo has been actively advocating for a resolution to UTAG’s strike and has even pushed for the suspension of the industrial action.
“For the record, Prof. Gyampo has been one of the advocates for the suspension of the strike,” Dr Harrison stated. He emphasized UTAG’s commitment to independent thinking, underlining the democratic nature of decision-making within the association.
He noted that UTAG members collectively rejected the suspension of the strike following a vote, which he described as a demonstration of unity in their cause.
“When UG voted, we voted massively to say that, no, we are fighting for a cause that is much bigger than ourselves,” he added, explaining that UTAG members are far from susceptible to outside influence.
Dr Harrison also criticized Salam Mustapha’s assumptions about the University Teachers Association of Ghana’s motives for its ongoing strike action over illegal mining, describing them as “insulting” and dismissive of UTAG’s independence.
He urged the NPP leadership to address the Youth Organizer’s behaviour, calling it “insulting, to say the least”, reflecting a broader discontent within UTAG regarding what they see as a political smear campaign aimed at delegitimizing their ongoing strike action.
READ ALSO: Wizkid’s New Single Sets New Record on YouTube Nigeria
