Professor Stephen Adei, Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has condemned the perception that public office is a means to wealth acquisition. '"Immediately one is appointed to a higher position, the comments you hear from people is, "wadi adie", literally meaning that the person has been placed in a position to enrich himself or herself," he stated. Professor Adei said this when the French Government presented a 215,000 euro Executive Mobile Training Laboratory (EMTL) to GIMPA. He said ''being given a public position is a privilege for service to one's country and an opportunity to leave a legacy for posterity to cherish". Prof Adei also criticised apathy in the Civil Service and said it was critical that civil service regulations were enforced. He called for what he termed "superior intelligence, hard work and discipline" among the citizenry, stressing that these values were needed to change the destiny of the nation. Professor Adei who was due to retire yesterday after nine years of service to GIMPA, said he was proud of the tremendous transformation which had taken place at GIMPA under his administration. GIMPA he said, had trained many high level management personnel who were working for the development of the nation, and mentioned Joe Issachar, Head of the Civil Service as one of them. He advised people to work hard in whatever positions they found themselves to transform the fortunes of the nation. Prof Adei said the EMTL would enable GIMPA to bring its leadership programmes to the doorstep of the citizens, stressing that training should not be limited to people who came to the premises of the GIMPA. "This facility will help train the civil servants who are needed to change attitudes at the MMDAs without necessarily coming to GIMPA," he added. The EMTL which comprises a Renault truck and trailer specially designed and converted into a 25seat classroom fully equipped with computers will aid GIMPA'S leadership training programmes for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies nationwide to enhance decentralisation. Bernard Botte, Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy, said the equipment was in support of the public sector reform programme started by the government last year. He said it will allow GIMPA to train in public management, public servants of the district assemblies in the remote communities and at the regional levels. He pledged his government's support for Ghana and GIMPA in particular, which he said had become a centre of excellence not only in Ghana but the whole of West Africa. Earlier, 36 people graduated after doing a year's programme in public sector management training. The participants were from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. Source: The Ghanaian Times