The governance challenges confronting Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) appear far from over, with recent developments raising major concerns about administrative processes, institutional oversight, and senior staff appointments. The latest controversy centres on the appointment of Mr Stephen G. Tobazaa as Director of Finance.
According to an official letter sighted by this publication from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), dated April 14, 2026, the Commission has explicitly rejected the appointment. The decision follows a damning background verification report conducted by the National Investigation Bureau (NIB).
In the letter addressed to the Chairman of the BTU Governing Council, GTEC’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, stated that, based on the sensitive nature of the position and the NIB’s advice to exercise circumspection, Mr Tobazaa should not be appointed. The Commission has instead instructed the Council to consider other suitably qualified applicants.
The GTEC correspondence outlines a litany of key findings from the NIB background check that call into question Mr Tobazaa’s academic credentials, professional history, and workplace conduct. Crucially, verification checks with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) could not confirm that Mr Tobazaa ever attended the university for a Master’s degree in Financial Management as he claimed.
Furthermore, investigators were unable to confirm that he undertook his mandatory National Service at Bolgatanga Senior High School between 1995 and 1996. Beyond these verification failures, official BTU records show a long history of friction, including several confrontations with colleagues and superiors that severely strained working relationships.
University records also revealed that the Governing Council had previously suspended Mr Tobazaa for one month without pay, from February 1 to February 29, 2024. The report further details serious behavioural issues, noting that he verbally attacked the Vice-Chancellor of the university on August 17, 2023.
He was also previously queried for several instances of verbal abuse towards staff and for gross disrespect directed at the Vice-Rector, the Registrar, and eight other individuals during a single meeting. Both teaching and non-teaching staff at BTU described him as abusive and confrontational, noting that his behaviour created ongoing tension with colleagues.
A reference report characterised him as hardworking and intelligent, but explicitly noted that he is temperamental with poor interpersonal relationships. Additional overall findings at BTU indicated that the applicant is widely known for verbally assaulting subordinates and superiors, as well as for habitual lateness to work and absenteeism.
This contentious recruitment process follows Mr Tobazaa’s previous tenure as the Director of Finance at BTU. Sources indicate that his contract expired in 2024 and that he did not seek its immediate renewal, subsequently choosing to reapply when the position was formally re-advertised under the current Governing Council.
However, sources within the university reveal that the recruitment process has been riddled with internal strife from the outset. A search committee, initially chaired by the Director of Finance of Tamale Technical University, was constituted to oversee the selection process and eventually submitted its report to the Governing Council for consideration.
Following the presentation of this report, certain stakeholders demanded additional background checks on the credentials of the applicants. This request reportedly generated severe disagreements within the search committee regarding the appropriateness and timing of such checks.
The original search committee chairman subsequently declined to continue under the revised arrangements, leading to the appointment of Dr. Aaron Issah to lead a newly reconstituted committee to move the process forward. This new committee requested background investigations from both the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB).
However, university sources allege that before the NIB report was even formally presented, a section of the Governing Council rushed ahead and proceeded with the appointment of Mr. Tobazaa.
The revelation of the GTEC directive has sparked widespread concern and renewed anxiety among sections of the university community regarding governance practices, transparency, and adherence to due process in senior appointments. Observers argue that the situation underscores a critical need for greater transparency and accountability in the administration of public tertiary institutions.
Stakeholders contend that the explosive findings of the NIB report and GTEC’s firm rejection must be thoroughly addressed and respected to safeguard the credibility and institutional integrity of the university’s leadership and management structures.
At the time of publishing, neither Mr. Stephen G. Tobazaa nor the Governing Council of Bolgatanga Technical University has publicly responded to the GTEC directive or the specific allegations contained in the reports. DigmeRobert.com has reached out to GTEC, the BTU Governing Council, and Mr. Tobazaa for further comments to ensure full balance on this developing story.
