Daniel Kwame Emilio, the Local Chairman of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), Local Branch of Bia Lamplighter College of Education, Sefwi Debiso in the Bia West District of the Western North Region, has won a court case against the college and the Principal, Dr. Samuel Agyemang.
The case which was filed initially at Sefwi Debiso Magistrate Court but withdrawn by the local chairman to the Sefwi Wiawso High Court for a speedy trial in April 2023, centered on principal’s refusal to grant Daniel Kwame Emilio his rightful promotion to SENIOR TUTOR, despite meeting all the necessary requirements and having gone through all the due processes for his promotion.
The promotion has been granted in October, 2022 with effective date of 1st August, 2020, by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the regulatory body for all tertiary education institutions in Ghana signed by the Director General Prof. Ahmed Abdulai Jinapoh.
However, the Principal, Dr. Samuel Agyemang, withheld Mr. Emilio’s promotion letter and failed to process his documents, thereby denying him his rightful salary scale.
This was despite the fact that other four staff members who had been promoted to the same rank at the same time had received their promotion letters and had their documents processed for rightful salary scale by the same principal with all arrears paid them.
Undeterred by the principal’s actions, Daniel Kwame Emilio, a Social Studies Practitioner and outspoken advocate for human rights, decided to take legal action against the principal of the college for abused of power and office which later, the High Court Judge, His Lordship Justice Kwame Amoako “SUO MOTO” (joined) the college as first defendant and the principal as second.
After nearly two-year legal battle, the Sefwi Wiawso High Court finally ruled in his favour on February 12, 2025 by His Lordship Justice Oliver Atsu Abada, J,
In a significant victory, the court granted all the four reliefs sought by Mr. Emilio including cost. This means that he will receive all his arrears from August 2020 when he was due for the promotion.
Though after the migration of colleges of education staff into the public university pay structure in January, 2025, the rank has changed, Mr. Emilio will be placed to enjoy the two incremental jumps and conversion differences his colleagues who were senior tutors before the migration are being enjoyed currently.
Again, his promotion to Senior Tutor letter will be given to him for references while a copy places on his file.
The ruling has been hailed as a major victory for all CETAG members across the 46 public colleges of education in Ghana. It sends a strong message to principals and heads of all public institutions who think they are above the law and can act with impunity.
Disclaimer | Daniel Kwame Emilio
