History of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG)
The formation of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) dates back in 1968 when a recognised and identifiable body was formed under the name Academic Staff Association (ASA), at the University of Cape Coast. Its formation was without reference to any of the then existing universities in Ghana, namely, University of Ghana, Legon, and the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
It all started when ten members of the academic staff, four expatriates and six Ghanaians, mooted the idea of its formation. The Ghanaians were Mr. Joe Prah, Dr. De Heer-Amissah, Mr. D E. K. Amenumey, Mr. Y. Bassa Kwansah, Dr. N. O. Anim, and Dr. S. K. Opoku. The ten persons circulated a memo on the need for an association of the kind to all academic senior members. The memo received a favourable response and led to general meeting and subsequent election of executive members to manage the affairs of the association.
Professor Nicholas O. Anim of the Faculty of Education was elected first President of the Academic Staff Association. Mr. D.E.K. Amenumey (later Prof. Amenumey) of the Department of History served as the first Secretary. When Prof. Anim ended his two-year term as president of the association in 1970, Dr. S. K. Opoku of the English Department took over as the second president. Two years later Dr. Moses Antwi became the third president. Mr. Amenumey served as the fourth President from 1974 until the 1978/79 academic year when the association took a national dimension to embrace the then three universities. At that stage the body was named University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG).
Due to its instrumental role in the formation of the national body, Cape Coast hosted the first national President of UTAG in 1978 in the person of Prof. J. S. Djangmah. When he left the office to contest parliamentary elections in 1979 his position was taken by Prof. Amenumey, the Vice President in an acting capacity until 1980 when he left the country on sabbatical leave.
The main objective of the association was to better the conditions of service of lectures. It took steps to address issues of accommodation for young and newly appointed senior members. The UCC branch in conjunction in conjunction with the other branches also fought for better salary levels and conditions of service. This fight, whatever occasional successes were achieved, has been an on-going struggle with the government of the day.
The friendly relations among members of UTAG, however began to strain when the December 1981 coup d’etat was staged and Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings assumed power for the second time. As members showed differences of opinion for support of the military take-over of the constitutional government, tension mounted and led to divisions in the membership of the association. The 1981 coup broke the ranks of UTAG with the result that no effective leadership could be maintained to run the affairs of the association. In the 1983/84 academic year, after the dust of the coup had settled, some signs of stability began to appear, but they were not strong enough to push through its demands in the political environment of the early 1980s.
