Joseph Osei Mensah,
A former President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Joseph Osei Mensah, has threatened to sue the university for failure to implement a committee’s recommendation to the letter.
According to the former GIMPA SRC President for the 2018/19 academic year, he and his executive board were accused by the then Dean of Students, Prof. Anthony Mawuli Sallar, of embezzling GHC70,000 prior to the end of their tenure in office.
As a result, GIMPA withheld his certificate, with the news widely circulated and published in the media. He is angry that the university failed to publish same when he was exonerated by the ad-hoc committee.
The other affected executive members of the 2018/19 group included Kwadwo Yeboah Darkwah – Vice President, Felix Kwasi Donkor – Treasurer, Jeffrey Okoe Aryeetey – Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ashaley Djanie – Finance Committee Chairman, and Bright Ayi Junior- Social & Planning Committee Chairman.
Happenings
Mr Osei Mensah told the Daily Statesman that after his vilification, the succeeding SRC administration of 2019/2020 independently investigated the happenings, with a verdict that suggested that the erstwhile administration properly and transparently handed over an audited account.
The student’s leadership, as a result, issued a press statement on February 4, 2020, to clear the former SRC president of the allegations, stating that the SRC’s finances were intact and there was no embezzlement as reported by the then Dean of Students, Prof. Sallar.
However, management was unsatisfied and, as a result, set up a committee, led by Prof. Philip Osei Duku, the then Deputy Rector, with other members being the then secretary of the Institute, Julius Atukpui retired.
Other members were Dr. Lord Yevugah Mawuko, Head of the Department for Public School, James Abrah, Director of Finance, and Charity Hayford, secretary to the committee.
After three months of investigations, the committee submitted its report in August 2020. The outcome also exonerated the accused, and recommended the immediate release of all withheld academic certificates, payment of some GHC16,717 as outstanding due to their tenure of administration, as well as a publication of retraction and apology to clear their names of the unfortunate news reportage.
Feet-dragging
Mr Osei Mensah Joseph bemoaned the feet-dragging tactics by the management of GIMPA, saying “it is important to note that the recommendations as captured in the committee’s report were further tabled at the Central Administration Committee of the Institute, chaired by then Rector, Prof. Phillip Bondzi-Simpson.
Based on that affirmation, the Secretary of the Institute had the green light to proceed with the full implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
Unfortunately, close to almost a three-year run on this matter, the management of GIMPA has failed to faithfully carry up the full implementation of the recommendations, according to the victim.
He has therefore threatened court action against the institution for libel and denigration if management fails to act swiftly as directed by its independent committee, three years on.
He added that after persistent calls by his lawyers, the institute, only on the 18th of August 2022, released a sum of GH₵16,717 outstanding.
This, he contends, is in sharp contrast with allegations by the Dean of Students, to begin with.
Unfortunately, he lamented, management, “by all indications, has refused to publish the retraction and apology, which was the final recommendation to be implemented from their own committee’s report.”
He said this he finds as a total disregard to the persons involved, hence the desire for court action as “the next option within the shortest possible time.”
