Concerned graduate students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) are demanding a comprehensive audit and full accountability regarding the utilisation of their mandatory student dues and are protesting a perceived lack of democratic governance.
The collective body of over 2,000 students—spanning weekend, evening, and regular programmes—reports being charged GH₵200 annually for a mandatory year (for those pursuing the one-year programme) or two years (for those pursuing the two-year programme).
The students estimate the total amount collected annually to be in the hundreds of thousands of Ghana Cedis, for which no formal financial statement or accounting has been provided.A core concern for the students is the complete lack of transparency regarding these funds.
“What has happened to our monies? Who are the signatories? “We want answers, and we just don’t want answers, but we want documentary evidence,” one source, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated. Students also noted that despite these substantial collections over several years, they can point to no single tangible investment or structural development funded by the dues. For instance, while some funds were allegedly used to purchase desks, students have yet to see documentary proof of the expenditure.
Governance and Explosive Statements
Students also voiced strong dissatisfaction with the leadership structure of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) at GIMPA.
Speaking anonymously, students alleged that Professor Wisdom Akpalu, a former Dean of Students and now the Patron, unilaterally appointed the current GRASAG President, effectively bypassing the established protocol requiring free, fair, and transparent elections. Sources confirmed that an established rule mandates a clear electoral process involving filing, vetting, and balloting.
However, students claim that for the four years the GIMPA GRASAG branch has been established, no credible electoral process has been implemented.In a recent Zoom meeting convened with approximately 114 students demanding answers and documentary evidence of expenditures, Professor Akpalu allegedly made a statement that the students deemed alarming. He reportedly informed the participants that there is “currently no functioning graduate school,” a statement that left many perplexed as to how an institution training professionals could operate without a core functional structure.
Furthermore, he reportedly asserted that students had “nothing they could do” about the situation.
Conflict of Interest and Demand for Removal
The students are also demanding the immediate removal of Professor Akpalu as the patron of the Graduate School.
This demand is intensified by the revelation that the professor has filed a lawsuit against GIMPA after the GIMPA Council reportedly disapproved of his contract extension.
The students argue that his continued presence in an official capacity compromises current activities and undermines any process intended to address the issues affecting the student body.
Their immediate demands include:
Immediate removal of Professor Wisdom Akpalu as the Graduate School patron.
Provision of documentary evidence for all monies collected as student dues, especially for the current academic year.
Full disclosure of the signatories and withdrawal processes for the GRASAG account.
This website has also gathered that the school’s secretary, Mrs Victoria K. Kumbour, is currently a signatory to the GRASAG accounts, which the students found troubling, demanding reasons why she would be made a signatory to the account.
They have also dared the Secretary to come out and denied that she is a signatory to their account.
Professor Akpalu is acknowledged as a senior stakeholder for the National Democratic Congress, and because of that, he believes he cannot be held to account.
Just recently, Professor Akpalu petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to rescind the appointment of Professor Owusu-Ansah to the Lands Commission after he claimed the man was affiliated with the New Patriotic Party.’If he is making these claims about someone appointed by this government, then, in that same measure, he should be prepared to also face the same music,” the source said.
They further questioned if an individual who would file a lawsuit against GIMPA could be trusted in an appointment as Board Chair at the Fisheries Commission, potentially dragging the Commission to court if circumstances were not favorable to him.
The website has also gathered that Deputy Rector Professor Ebenezer Adaklu has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the students’ concerns.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
