A concerned group at the University of Cape Coast is urging the government to promptly investigate alleged unauthorized spending by Vice-Chancellor Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong.
The group, preferring to remain anonymous, also demands full transparency regarding the Vice-Chancellor’s questionable expenditures.
“We will not tolerate the misuse of funds that undermines our shared mission of education and research,” it said in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency.
The group alleges that the Vice-Chancellor utilized two million Ghana Cedis on overseas travels, prioritizing it over the well-being of the university’s students and faculty.
“Our painstaking investigations have revealed that he traveled more than 20 times between February, 2022 and December, 2023.
“The investigations uncovered an amount of $75,000. 00 on per diem alone and over GHC600,000.00 on air tickets as evidenced by receipt from Global Wings and Tours Limited. This is over 268% more than the budgeted amount for the year 2022.
“On one of his travels on 22nd December, 2023, his air ticket alone cost GHC118,267.00.mWhat makes the situation murkier is the fact that the Vice-Chancellor approves the travels himself without recourse to Council. The Governing Council which was supposed to hold him in check either neglected its duties or was compromised. Many are calling for his head and that of the then Council Chair and Members for breach of duty.”
These expenses have caused widespread outrage among faculty, staff, and students,the group said.
“The Vice-Chancellor’s lack of fiscal responsibility has undermined the university’s financial stability and eroded public trust.
“It is strange that a University that struggles to pay its utility bills, accommodate students and pay lecturers would condone such lavish expenses by one man who has not brought any grants during his four year tenure but strangely illegally lobbied for a 2-year extension that overlaps his 60th birthday.”
“As the university’s highest-ranking official, the Vice-Chancellor has a legal obligation to act in the institution’s best interests,” the group said.
As a result, he has violated his fiduciary responsibility. Some alumni are already preparing to take legal action in court to address the illegal extension of his tenure beyond his 60th birthday, which is a clear violation of the Ghanaian Constitution, as determined by the previous Council.
Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong did not pick calls on both his Telecel number 0208 and MTN number 0547.
He did not also reply WhatsApp messages sent to him on the matter.