A former President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has threatened to sue his alma mater.

According to Joseph Osei Mensah, this is due to the school's failure to fully implement the recommendations of a Committee which was set up to investigate him.

In an interaction with the press, he bemoaned the feet-dragging attitude of the school, following his exoneration by the Committee about three years ago.

Mr Mensah wondered why the school is yet to fully clear his name, after his reputation was muddied over allegations of financial impropriety.

Having been found innocent, he wants the school to take steps to fully restore his reputation; failure of which he said he will take legal action against the institution.

"I and the other executives have been very much affected by these baseless accusations.

Unfortunately, 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.

This, I find as a total disregard to us the persons involved. Hence, a court action might be the next option within the shortest possible time", the former SRC President stressed.

Background

The GIMPA SRC President for the 2018/19 academic year, Joseph Osei Mensah and his executive were accused by the then Dean of Students, Prof. Anthony Mawuli Sallar, of embezzling GH₵70,000 prior to the end of their tenure in office.

As a result, the school withheld his certificate pending investigations into the matter.

The other affected executives were the SRC Vice President, Kwadwo Yeboah Darkwah; the SRC Treasurer, Felix Kwasi Donkor; the SRC PRO, Jeffred Okoe Aryeetey; the Finance Committee Chairman, Emmanuel Ashaley Djanie and the Chairman for the Social Planning Committtee, Bright Ayi Junior.

When the succeeding SRC administration took over, they conducted an independent finding into the matter.

The outcome proved that Mr Osei Mensah and his colleagues were not guilty, stating that the erstwhile administration properly and transparently handed over an audited account.

As a result, the students' leadership 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.

However, Management was unsatisfied and therefore set up a committee led by Professor Philip Osei Duku, the then Deputy Rector with other members to probe the matter further.

The other members included the then Secretary of GIMPA, Julius Atukpui (retired); Head of the Department for Public School, Dr Lord Yevugah Mawuko; Director of Finance, James Abrah, and Charity Hayford, who served as 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 GH₵16,717 as outstanding due them, as well as a publication of retraction and apology to clear their names in the unfortunate reportage.

Howeever according to the former SRC President, this has not been done.

He said after persistent calls by his lawyers, the school only released a sum of GH₵16,717 on 18th August, 2020 due the SRC administration under his tenure, as recommended.

He however wants a full implementation of the recommendations by the Committee, with emphasis on a release to clear he and his colleagues.

"It is important to note that the recommendations as captured in the Committee’s report, was further tabled at the Central Administration Committee of the Institute, chaired by then Rector, Prof. Phillip Bondzi-Simpson and was further affirmed, which gave the Secretary of the Institute the green light to proceed with the full implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.

Unfortunately, close to almost three years, the Management of GIMPA has failed to faithfully carry out the full implementation of the recommendations", he lamented.

The school has however released the certificates of the accused.