Graduate students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) have expressed growing frustration and uncertainty as management continues to delay the release of the voters’ register for the Graduate Students’ Association (GRASAG–GIMPA) elections.
The elections, initially scheduled for July 23, 2026, were postponed to July 31, 2026, due to preparations for the institution’s graduation ceremonies.
However, details emerging indicate that the Electoral Commission remains unable to conduct free and fair elections without access to the official list of registered graduate students.
The Dean of Students, Prof. Augustina Akonnor, and her Assistant, Mr. Kwabena Amoah, have allegedly refused to release the register despite sustained efforts by the student body. Aggrieved students, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Prof. Akonnor is applying the rules selectively and inconsistently.
They argued that management’s resistance to these internal elections directly violates the association’s constitution, which requires student executives to be in place to represent student interests on the Academic Board.
The standoff has escalated significantly, with reports indicating four pending lawsuits challenging the delay. The situation further intensified when GRASAG retained legal counsel to demand the immediate release of the register.
According to sources, legal counsel warned that continued refusal to release the list could prompt formal court injunctions—a clear signal that normal dialogue has broken down.
While leadership at the Dean of Students office remains unyielding, reports indicate that Deputy Rector Prof. Ebenezer Adaku and Prof. Obeng Acquah, Dean of the Business School, have actively intervened to resolve the students’ concerns.
Beyond the electoral deadlock, students are demanding a comprehensive forensic audit and financial reports regarding the management of GRASAG funds. Currently, the graduate student population exceeds 1,500, with trimester students paying GHC 300 each and those in the two-year program paying GHC 400. While these resources are designated to address student welfare, students allege that no financial reports have been presented and no accountability has been rendered for years.
In an effort to resolve the impasse, the school’s legal counsel previously advised the students to collate signatures from 20 percent of the Senate—which comprises class representatives—as stipulated by the constitution to form an Interim Management Committee to oversee the elections. Although the required signatures were successfully gathered to pave the way for the electoral process, the committee has still not materialized.
The coalition of concerned students includes representatives from the GIMPA Law School, who expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current administration.
“The legacy of the Dean of Students is nothing to write home about,” one law student stated. “Under her leadership, we have witnessed more than four legal actions over her failure to allow elections to be organized smoothly. This is troubling because, as we speak, we should currently have a representative on the Academic Board, but because we don’t have functioning executives, that position remains vacant. Additionally, there are several student welfare issues that ought to be addressed, but that is simply not the case. We need these executives in place so that when students have concerns over registration and related academic matters, they have someone to advocate for them.”
Another student remarked that “for a school that claims to be a center of excellence, facing these persistent governance challenges leaves much to be desired.”
Above all, the student body is demanding transparency regarding whether their collected dues remain safely in the association’s accounts or have been embezzled. Despite their grievances with the Dean of Students office, the students commended the Rector, Professor K. Bonsu, acknowledging his commitment to student welfare and his assurances that student resources will not be misappropriated.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana