Ghanaian artiste Stonebwoy has reportedly returned to school at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to pursue an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy.
In a video shared by Entertainment journalist, @OleleSalvador, Stonebwoy engaged with some individuals believed to be school authorities and potential coursemates.
This comes barely two months after he obtained a degree from GIMPA with a Second Class Upper Division. He attended his graduation ceremony held at GIMPA’s premises on July 26 in the company of his family and some renowned music personalities
After his last exam, the family threw him a party at home to celebrate his achievement. Together with his wife and two kids, the Satekla family attended this year’s GIMPA graduation ceremony in grand style.
Stonebwoy comes from a high-achieving family comprising his wife, Dr. Louisa, a certified dentist, and their two children, Catherine Jidula and Janam.
This milestone comes after he resumed his academic journey in 2021, having previously cut short his education at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), where he was studying business administration to pursue a career in music.
Stonebwoy has mentioned in the past that Dr. Louisa encouraged him to go back to school and even purchased the admission forms for him.
Ghanaian dancehall artist Stonebwoy has expressed frustration over allegations that his GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration) certificate was obtained through improper means.
In a recent interview with GTV’s Kafui Dey, Stonebwoy addressed the accusations, dismissing them as the result of a “daft mentality.”
He highlighted the stringent measures at GIMPA, including surveillance cameras in exam rooms, which make cheating virtually impossible.
“I want to address these naysayers because sometimes their noise drowns out the truth. There are cameras in the exam halls, which shows how difficult it is to cheat. You have to study; you can’t beat the system,” he said.
Stonebwoy emphasized that success at the institution requires genuine effort and study.
The musician also took aim at those perpetuating these claims, accusing them of undermining his achievements with negativity.
“Ahwenepa nkasa [‘quality beads’ don’t make much noise], but when we stay silent for too long, it allows foolishness to prevail. Claiming GIMPA gifted me the certificate, what poverty-stricken mentality is that? What kind of failure mentality is that?” he asked.
Stonebwoy further elaborated that he had to attend evening classes to accommodate his busy schedule.
“I had to attend evening classes because the morning option didn’t fit my schedule. It’s not easy, there are even cameras in the exam hall, let nobody lie to anyone,” he stated.
He reassured listeners that the rigorous examination environment, including surveillance, ensured the integrity of his academic accomplishments.
Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy has recently completed his studies at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), graduating with a second class upper degree after a three-year program.
He received his degree on Friday, July 26, 2024.
While many took to social media to congratulate Stonebwoy on his achievement, a number of individuals expressed skepticism about whether he genuinely earned the degree.
Some questioned his ability to balance his music career with academic commitments, suggesting that he might have used influence or resources to secure the qualification.
Additionally, there were claims and screenshots allegedly shared by fellow students casting doubt on Stonebwoy’s credentials.
However, in response to the controversy, some ofStonebwoy’s classmates have posted videos showing him participating in group discussions and other academic activities, aiming to validate his accomplishment and affirm that he rightfully earned his degree.
Renowned Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy has graduated from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
After a three-year program, Stonebwoy, who initially paused his education to focus on his music career, completed his studies and participated in the graduation ceremony at GIMPA on July 26.
Stonebwoy, whose real name is Livingstone Etse Satekla, made a return to academia in 2021.
The celebration of his accomplishment today was shared with fans through videos posted online, showcasing his family—his wife, Dr. Louisa, a qualified dentist, and their children, Catherine Jidula and Janam—on the university grounds.
Following his final exam, the Satekla family hosted a celebratory gathering at home.
Stonebwoy’s return to education comes after he had previously interrupted his studies at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), where he was pursuing a degree in business administration, to dedicate himself to his music career.
Stonebwoy and his family arrives for his graduation at GIMPA School of Public Administration. Congrats to him 🎉
A standoff between students of GIMPA and their Rector, Prof Samuel Bonsu has left hundreds of students, including final-year students, unable to register for their courses this semester.
The Rector, allegedly known for his “one-man show” leadership style has reportedly closed registration refusing to engage departmental leaders and student representatives over the matter as hundreds of students remain stranded.
This move has sparked outrage among students, who are questioning the Rector’s appointment to the Education Committee of the 2024 NPP/Bawumia Manifesto Committee if his leadership of GIMPA is questionable.
Despite internet challenges in March, which led to an extension of the registration period by a week, many students who had made full payments were still unable to register. Still, the Rector is said to have closed his eyes and ears to students’ legitimate concerns.
“How can someone who refuses to show leadership simple leadership skills be part of a committee that aims to improve education?” asked a final-year student, who was unable to register and wished to remain anonymous.
“I made full payments and have been pleading for a chance to register, but all my efforts have been in vain. This is not the first tertiary institution I have attended, and I know this is not how things should be done.”
Students are calling for a more humane approach to addressing their difficulties, suggesting that late registration penalty payments would be a more reasonable solution.
In a twist of events, this portal met a die-hard member of the NPP who openly indicated he won’t waste his time and that of his family in the upcoming elections if these are the kind of people Bawumia is assembling for his future government, this person used language on the Rector which cannot be published by this portal.
Whilst final-year students may have to contend with a whole year of sitting at home to study for these courses altogether again others may just abandon their programs altogether after paying in full mid-way into the semester.
More publications should be expected about senior management issues under the current rector Prof Samuel Bonsu.
Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has remarked that the current power outages are not as dire as the erratic power supply (Dumsor) experienced during the Mahama administration.
However, he cautioned that if the current situation is not adequately addressed, the challenge could worsen.
“The power crisis is not as bad as the Dumsor days but if we don’t take care it will only get worse,” he told TV3’s Beatrice Adu in an interview on Monday, April 22.
He said “so the first thing is that if there are bottlenecks which are not allowing us to use the existing capacity to the fullest, they must be addressed. But in the long run, we must have a national strategic agenda. You can go solar, immediately the government should allow all solar panels and anything to do with it import duty-free because in the end the country and the government will win. We must have a strategy to make sure that we have a long-term solution nd the efficiency of the ECG must also improve.”
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Beatrice Adu on Monday, April 22, Prof Adei suggested strategies for the government to tackle the current challenges.
Dumsor Politics and Election 2024: The power crisis is not as bad as the Dumsor days. Prof. Stephen Adei, Educationist/Economist#GhanaTonightpic.twitter.com/3DoCCtFN2F
He emphasized the need to address bottlenecks hindering the use of existing capacity and advocated for a national strategic agenda, including the duty-free importation of solar panels to promote solar energy utilization.
Additionally, he highlighted the importance of improving the efficiency of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for a long-term solution.
On a similar note, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, acknowledged the frustration caused by the power outages in parts of the country.
However, he assured the public that there is light at the end of the tunnel, attributing the situation to maintenance work by the ECG.
He expressed confidence that the maintenance works would soon be completed, ensuring uninterrupted power supply, as seen under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia Administration.
Responding to criticism from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ahiagbah asserted that the NDC is in no position to criticize, given the challenges faced during the Mahama administration’s tenure, characterized by severe Dumsor.
The Ministry of Energy has revealed plans to select a vendor for Ghana’s inaugural nuclear power plant by the close of 2024, aiming for operational status by 2030.
Dr. Robert Sogbadji, Deputy Director of Power (Nuclear and Alternative Energy), shared this information during a policy dialogue marking World Sustainable Energy Day in Accra.
The event was organized by the Centre of Excellence in Public Utility Regulation (CEPUR), a collaboration between the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PUCR) and the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Dr. Sogbadji outlined that the country is currently in phase two of its nuclear power program, with plans to announce the selected vendor company by year-end.
The first nuclear power plant is anticipated to become part of Ghana’s energy mix by 2030 or 2032, contributing significantly to achieving net-zero goals and energy transition objectives.
Addressing the country’s US$561.9 billion financing requirement for energy transition, Dr. Sogbadji mentioned the government’s strategic plan to secure about 46% from the private sector.
Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister of Energy, affirmed the progress of Ghana’s energy transition agenda, emphasizing the implementation of a clear strategy to attract investments. He highlighted pipeline projects, including 2,000 megawatts of solar and wind energy, to attract financing from various investors.
Mr Krapa emphasized efforts to scale up the domestic currency and explore technologies like carbon capture utilization, electronic vehicles, and green hydrogen to align with the transition pathway.
He indicated the government’s commitment to balancing conventional (hydro), solar, and nuclear power for sustainable electricity.
Kwame Jantuah, Chairman of the Oil and Gas sector at the Association of Ghana Industries, called for a balanced approach in utilizing conventional, solar, and nuclear power for sustainable electricity.
He suggested incentivizing residential solar panel adoption to reduce conventional costs, with excess energy contributing to the overall mix for export.
Jantuah emphasized the importance of leaving vendor selection in the hands of the nuclear energy body to prevent political interference. Ghana envisions implementing both a large reactor (1,000-1,200 megawatts) and a small modular reactor (about 300 megawatts) for its nuclear power plant, aligning with the country’s industrialization goals and sustainable development objectives.
“We’re currently in phase two of our nuclear power programme, and by the end of this year, we should be able to announce our vendor company to build our first nuclear power plant, which we foresee to be in the energy mix by 2030,” Dr Sogbadji said.
“So, by 2030 or 2032, we would have advanced strongly towards meeting net zero and meet energy transition goals,” he said.
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR (FWA) – TRAVELLING SERVICES)
The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) intends to apply part of its internally generated funds to engage Travel Agent(s) for GIMPAand YALI RLC Participants and Staff on a Framework Agreement basis.
1.0 The Selected vendor(s) will provide the following services for the Institute.
Will be responsible for all ticketing and reservation;
Will be responsible for revision and rebooking tickets;
Will also be responsible for giving the Institute information for arrival dates and times of Staff and participants
2.0 The Institute would like the vendors to note the following terms of references when they are drafting and submitting their Proposals to the Institute:
Proposals should include all service charges associated with rendering this service for the Institute.
Proposals should include the staffing levels and their profiles.
A member of staff dedicated to our Staff and participants’ travel arrangements around the clock when training is in session for YALI RLC participants.
3.0 GIMPA now invites eligible agents to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested agents must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).
The agent(s) will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), as amended, of the Republic of Ghana and shall meet the following criteria;
IATA Accredited
Valid Company Registration Certificate
Valid Tax Clearance Certificate
VAT Registration Certificate
Valid SSNIT Certificate
Valid PPA Registration Certificate.
Further information can be obtained from the Procurement Department, Room 1, Oval 4, GIMPA Achimota, Accra, or on telephone number (0302) 401681-3 ext. 1118 between 8.30 am to 5.00 pm (Monday to Friday).
Note: Shortlisted Agents will be expected to submit tenders at the next stage.
Submission of Expression of Interest Expression of Interest in English (One original, three (3) copies), must be delivered to the address below in the Tender Box on OR before 10:00 am on Wednesday, 20th March 2024, and electronic copy to procurement @gimpa.edu.gh.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
THE PROCUREMENT MANAGER GIMPA P. O. BOX AH 50 GREENHILL, ACHIMOTA
FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES: TEL: (0302) 401681-3 ext. 1118/1561 E-MAIL: procurement@gimpa.edu.gh WEBSITE: www.gimpa.edu.gh
Please note that the closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 20th March 2024.
The event, held recently, was attended by dignitaries and academics, including the Director of GIMPA Training and Consulting, Professor Charles Amoatey.
In his address, Professor Amoatey urged the graduates to leverage the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for business growth. He emphasized the importance of enhancing entrepreneurial skills and encouraged the graduates to pursue short courses to expand their knowledge base.
“We are training them not to just go and look for jobs in the private and public sector but to also start their own businesses in the field.
“We have also equipped them with new technologies that will make them stand out in the profession. Africa is now a very small community, fortunately Ghana is hosting the African Free Trade Centre. It provides a unique opportunity for young men and women like those who have graduated to take advantage of those initiatives, to even jobs outside Ghana.”
Although trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) commenced on January 1, 2021, it is important to note that the process leading up to this point was a lengthy one, spanning several years.
The agreement itself was signed in 2018, but it took many years of negotiations, consultations, and deliberations to reach that point. Roots of the AfCFTA date back to the 19th Session of the African Union (AU) in 2012, where African Heads of State and Government came to the decision to establish a free trade area across the continent by 2017.
The official negotiations for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched in 2015 by African Heads of State and Government at the 25th Ordinary Session of the AU. These negotiations continued until March 2018, where the agreement was signed at the 10th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government, where 44 of the 55 African Union Member States signed the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Almost exactly a year following the signing of the agreement, the AfCFTA entered into force on May 30, 2019. The operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was launched during the 12th African Union (AU) Assembly in July 2019. At the time, 27 countries had ratified the AfCFTA, while 28 others had signed but not yet ratified
As of February 2023, 46 of the 54 signatories have deposited their instruments of ratification for the agreement, making them state parties to the agreement.
While trading under the agreement commenced on January 1, 2021, there are still negotiations taking place to finalize all aspects of the agreement. These negotiations have been divided into three phases;
Phase I: Trade in goods and services and dispute settlement
Despite trading under the agreement being permitted, negotiations continue for various details such as tariff schedules, rules of origin, the Trade Remedy Guidelines, and services commitments for the five priority sectors for liberalization (Transport, communication, financial, tourism and business services).
Phase II: Intellectual property rights, investment, and competition policy
Negotiations for Phase II have commenced, and were disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, resulting in delays. However, the negotiations to conclude the outstanding Protocols of Phase II are well advanced and should be completed soon.
Phase III: Digital trade and women and youth in trade
Negotiations for Phase III will commence upon the completion of Phase II.
Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has endorsed the inclusion of legal ethics studies in law school curricula, emphasizing its role in fostering appropriate discipline within the legal profession.
Speaking at a public lecture and the launch of the Gertrude Torkornoo Moot Court Competition at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School, she suggested that along with legal ethics, guidance on dress codes and behavioral norms for legal practitioners should be incorporated.
“I am aware that there is brisk consideration for the incorporation of the study of legal ethics within the curriculum of law faculties.
“Allow me to suggest that to increase the ethical requirement for propriety, this curriculum be accompanied with directions on dress code and other codes on behaviour that necessarily follow the life of a legal practitioner.”
The public lecture, themed “Ethics, Compliance, and Accountability: A Holistic Approach to Adjudication,” marked the commencement of the Gertrude S. Torkornoo Moot Court Competition—a national contest bringing together law students from various faculties across Ghana. The competition aims to enhance students’ advocacy and litigation skills, preparing them for future legal careers.
Chief Justice Torkornoo discussed the significance of ethics in adjudication, successful lawyering, and the holistic approach to ethics by adjudicators.
Emphasizing the role of discipline as an ethical value, she stated that disciplined behavior, when ingrained as a cultural norm, leads to excellence in professional practice.
The Chief Justice underscored the importance of compliance with ethical values in successful lawyering, citing the constitution, statutes, and professional codes of conduct as the foundations of the justice sector.
She highlighted independent thinking, competence, diligence, and integrity as essential skills for legal professionals in dissecting facts and applying legal principles.
”Compliance with ethical values is, therefore, not an inconvenient call that disturbs the smooth catwalk to pomp of lawyering, but a gentle set of directional sign posts that lead the legal professional to the standards of intellectual delivery required for justice to be adequately served to citizens to whom belong the right of justice.”
Addressing the relationship between ethics and successful lawyering, Chief Justice Torkornoo emphasized that proficiency in law arises not only from legal knowledge but also from the exercise of adept skills and character. She further commended GIMPA School of Law for introducing the Moot Court Competition as an enriching extracurricular activity, providing a unique platform for students to learn and apply legal skills and values.
To embark on the journey of becoming a law student in Ghana, the first step is to acquire a degree, typically spanning four years.
Any degree from a recognized institution qualifies, where “recognized” denotes acknowledgment by institutions offering law degrees such as UG, KNUST, GIMPA, Zenith, and Mount Crest.
Private arrangements leading to a ‘London Law Degree’ exist, but details are not provided.
Following the completion of the initial degree, one can seek admission to institutions like UG, KNUST, GIMPA, Zenith, or Mount Crest for a two-year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) program.
Upon successful completion of the LLB, with certain conditions met, one becomes eligible to enroll in the Ghana School of Law for the two-year Professional Law Course. The entire journey, from non-graduate to a qualified lawyer, typically takes about eight years.
An alternative route, referred to as Route 2, allows students with secondary school certificates to directly enroll in the LLB program at certain universities like UG and KNUST. This option shortens the overall duration of study, spanning approximately five years from university to the Ghana School of Law.
Route 3 involves students pursuing the LLB program at a foreign university in a Commonwealth heritage country such as Britain, the USA, Canada, or Australia. Upon obtaining the LLB, successful application to the Ghana School of Law may secure a place in the full two-year program.
Alternatively, those admitted as lawyers in foreign countries with Commonwealth heritage may undergo a “conversion” process to the Ghana bar.
This involves enrolling in a three-month program, subject to potential changes, at the Ghana School of Law after meeting post-qualification conditions in the foreign country.
Lawyer John Darko, a lecturer at the GIMPA law faculty, has submitted his nomination forms to contest the Suame constituency parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on January 27, 2024.
The Suame constituency is currently represented by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who has declared that he will not seek re-election in 2024.
John Darko, an indigene of Breman within the Suame constituency, previously contested in the 2016 parliamentary primaries of the NPP, securing the third position.
He was not allowed to contest in the 2020 primaries, enabling the incumbent MP to go unopposed.
John Darko holds an LL.M in Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources from the University of Houston Law Centre, Texas, where he received scholarships from the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and Rocky Mountains Minerals Law Foundation.
He obtained his qualifying certificate in law (QCL) from Ghana School of Law and an LLB from the University of Ghana. With 13 years of experience in natural resources and environmental law, including commercial, advisory, academic, and consultancy roles, Darko has worked on projects worth several million US dollars.
He is also a board member of various organizations in the oil and gas, insurance, finance, and education sectors. John Darko submitted his nomination forms for the Suame constituency parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) within 24 hours of picking them up.
The NPP opened nominations for parliamentary seats held by sitting Members of Parliament on December 20, with the deadline set for December 25, 2023.
Professor Stephen Adei, the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has expressed his enthusiastic support for the free Senior High School (Free SHS) program.
Drawing from his own experience as a beneficiary of free education during the Nkrumah era, he believes that every Ghanaian should have the opportunity to access education up to the high school level without being hindered by financial constraints.
Speaking with media on Wednesday, August 23, Prof. Adei emphasized his endorsement of the Free SHS initiative.
“I am an avid supporter of free SHS. Every child in Ghana must have access to education up to the high school level and not be constrained because their parents cannot affairs,” he stated.
He added “The Free SHS will be one of the greatest legacies of His Excellency the President. There is no rational Ghanaian who will want to scrap the policy of free SHS.”
He went on to express his conviction that the Free SHS program will stand as one of the most significant legacies of the President. In his view, it is irrational for any Ghanaian to advocate for the discontinuation of the policy.
Professor Adei highlighted the value of the policy and called for its continuous improvement to ensure that no child is left behind. He also noted that those advocating for a reevaluation of the policy should not be perceived as adversaries of the government.
Additionally, he underscored the importance of establishing quality community schools to support the success of the Free SHS program.
In summary, Prof. Adei’s stance on the Free SHS program is that of strong support, believing that it’s a vital initiative that should be enhanced and expanded to benefit all Ghanaian children.
NDC Member of Parliament for South Dayi,Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has voiced his disapproval of the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei’s recent comments on the Minority in Parliament’s decision to picket at the Bank of Ghana premises.
The professor is on record to have said it is not simplistic to demand the resignation of a central bank governor and more so that the BoG premises was a security zone.
But in response, Mr Dafeamekpor said his comments lack basis.
“Prof Addae is crying that, BOG is a security zone. He has so soon forgotten that Occupyghana used to Occupy the Flagstaff House under JM. Isn’t the seat of Govt a security zone then? The hypocrites have found their voices suddenly,” his posted on Twitter on August 15.
He is not the first NDC MP to go after the academic and economist. Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza also tweeted: “It is rather sad that people like Prof. Stephen Adei have constantly chosen to be part of the problems of our nation and not the solution. Time and again, Prof. Adei has demonstrated through his hypocritical and lopsided positions and commentary on critical national issues, that all he cares about is his political affiliation and loyalty to his friends in government.”
The Minority in Parliament has described as flimsy, an attempt by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to explain questions they have raised about details in the central bank’s annual report for 2022.
Responding to a press statement by the Bank of Ghana dated August 9, 2023, the minority said BOG engaged in deliberate distortions while failing to justify the GHC60.8 billion loss and negative equity of GHC55.1 billion it recorded in 2022.
“In the said press statement, the Bank of Ghana attempts to shamelessly justify its recklessness and mismanagement which resulted in the huge losses of GHS60.8 billion and the negative equity of GHS55.1 billion it recorded in the year 2022.
“As a matter of fact, the Bank of Ghana’s unsigned press statement, is full of deliberate distortions and flimsy justifications which do not address the serious matters that were raised in our Moment of Truth presser last Tuesday,” the statement signed by the leader of the Minority, Cassiel Ato-Forson said.
The minority which earlier held a press conference accusing the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance of breaching laws guiding their operations said the central bank in its August 9 statement failed to address the core issues it raised earlier.
“The referenced Bank of Ghana’s statement does not address the most fundamental issue which has to do with the printing of money by BOG for the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government in 2021 and 2022 in clear contravention of Section 30 of the Bank of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 2016 (ACT 918). Indeed, throughout the statement, BOG does not and could not have offered any reasonable justification for printing a whopping GHS35 billion in 2021 and GHS 42 billion in 2022 to finance the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government, in clear breach of their governing law.
“It is an indisputable fact that the amount of monies printed by BOG for the reckless Akufo Addo/Bawumia government both in 2021 and 2022 far exceeds the legally acceptable threshold of 5% of the previous fiscal years’ total revenue,” the statement said.
While describing the action by the central bank and the ministry of finance as illegal, the minority raised further questions around the decision to write-off GHS 48 billion in debt owed by the government to BoG.
The minority also questioned the construction of a $250 million office complex by the central bank describing the basis as untenable.
Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, has formally resigned from his position on the advisory board of the Ministry of Finance.
Citing personal motivations for his decision, Prof Adei underlined the significance of harmonization and cooperation between the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in order to establish a coherent approach to economic policies.
Prof Adei reflected on his eight-year tenure on the advisory board, which spanned both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime and the initial term of President Akufo-Addo.
He recounted a specific incident involving the former governor of the BoG, who asserted the central bank’s autonomy during a board discussion.
In response, the board emphasized the importance of alignment between the two institutions while respecting their respective independences.
The advisory board, established under the Civil Service Act, plays a pivotal role in fostering communication between the Ministry of Finance and its stakeholders.
Its primary purpose is to provide insights into policy development and operational strategies, contributing to well-informed decision-making. Chaired by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, the board comprises accomplished members with diverse areas of expertise.
Prof Adei’s resignation highlights the intricate dynamics of collaboration and policy coordination among different branches of the Ghanaian government’s administrative framework.
Minister for Information, Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has emphasized the government’s commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment that fosters entrepreneurship and boosts productivity.
Speaking at the 23rd Graduation ceremony of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra, the stressed the importance of enhancing collaborations with academia, industry, and citizens to ensure that education and training align with the changing needs of society.
The graduation event, held in three sessions starting from Friday, July 28, 2023, saw a total of 1000 graduates from various disciplines, including the Faculty of Law, School of Technology, School of Public Service and Governance, Business School, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, as well as PhD and Masters Degree students.
Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah emphasized the government’s reliance on data and empirical evidence to shape and implement policies and programs effectively.
Furthermore, he encouraged industry players to invest in education by offering scholarships, grants, and contributing to the infrastructural development of higher learning institutions in the country.
This collaboration between the private sector and educational institutions would play a crucial role in shaping a bright future for Ghana’s development.
According to the Minister, establishing a strong synergy between academia and industry is crucial in providing graduates with a well-rounded education that enables them to be effective in their work.
He emphasized that industry players have a significant role to play in this regard by investing in research and development, encouraging innovation, and addressing emerging challenges and opportunities.
“By creating an environment that encourages entrepreneurship and fostering innovation, we can unlock opportunities and generate sustainable employment for the graduates,” he added.
Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, the Rector of GIMPA, revealed that the Institute has taken significant measures to establish itself as a Center of Excellence.
One of these steps includes the formulation of a new vision for the Institute, along with a proposed Strategic Plan. The development of this Plan involved extensive consultations with the Institute’s stakeholders and the wider community.
The primary objective of the Strategic Plan is to revitalize GIMPA’s legacy and secure its continuous growth and prominence in the years to come.
Prof. Bonsu emphasized that the past year was dedicated to laying the necessary groundwork to achieve the goals outlined in the Plan, with the ultimate aim of becoming a leading Institute of higher learning.
“We have emphasised building integrity and discipline in the system and have commenced a sensitization drive to emphasise quality and to develop a KPI-based performance culture, he added.
Former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has called on the government to abolish the public-school boarding system, stating that it contributes to children picking up social vices.
This call comes in response to a viral video showing a student from Adisadel College in Cape Coast assaulting a fellow student over a disagreement about a mobile phone sim. Both the perpetrator and the victim have been suspended by the school authorities.
Speaking t the media, Professor Adei expressed his belief that the boarding school system has lost its relevance in today’s context, especially with the implementation of Free Senior High School (SHS) education.
“I think that it was quite a useful means of training a few elites, what has happened over time is that, boarding school as the main vehicle of training children, when especially today we have free SHS, we have to scrap the boarding system in SHSs and make it local.”
“Once we have reached a certain level, boarding school as a public means of education is a no, no. I tell you at this moment that people in boarding schools are likely to pick more anti-social things including lesbianism, occultism than before,” Adei said.
He suggested that boarding schools should be transformed into local schools, as the previous model was only useful for training a few elites.
He went on to assert that boarding schools, as a public means of education, are no longer suitable. According to him, children in boarding schools are more likely to be influenced by anti-social behaviors such as lesbianism and occultism.
On the other hand, management consultant Kobina Atta-Badu disagreed with Professor Adei’s stance.
He argued that boarding schools play a crucial role in training children and promoting tribal cohesion.
At a young age, students from various regions of the country come together to live in one place, fostering bonds and friendships that transcend ethnic and tribal barriers.
Atta-Badu emphasized that the benefits of boarding schools extend beyond the individual level, contributing to national unity and social cohesion.
The debate highlights the different perspectives on the relevance and impact of the boarding school system in Ghana’s education landscape.
Dean of the School of Research and Graduate Studies at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Wisdom Akpalu, has restated the importance of the Government‘s commitment to promoting the sustainable utilization of natural resources.
“We should not just go to town spending those (natural resource) monies, but invest them in other forms of capital. Let’s spend them on education, roads, hospitals and other things that can lead us to produce more goods and services rather than consuming them,” he said.
On Thursday, Professor Wisdom Akpalu shared his advice during an Inaugural Lecture held by GIMPA in Accra.
Under the topic “The Complexities of Managing Natural Resources in Developing Countries,” Professor Wisdom Akpalu delivered his speech during the Inaugural Lecture organized by GIMPA in Accra.
The Professor noted that Africa possesses abundant and valuable natural resources, but still faces significant challenges of poverty and destitution.
He identified ignorance or a lack of scientific knowledge regarding natural resource management as a contributing factor to the problem.
Prof Akpalu said the Continent was also faced with corruption and political expediency, and weak bargaining position of leaders with foreign investors over natural resources.
He said renewable resources could be sustained by ensuring that the rate of extraction did not exceed the capacity of the resource to replenish itself.
“We can achieve sustainability through our knowledge of the stock and bioregions of the resource, interaction between the resource and its environment, diversity of the species and interactions among them, reproductive capacity of the resource, relationship between the effort deployed and the harvest or catch.”
He said 60 percent of wild fish stocks in Africa were fully exploited while 30 per cent were over-exploited.
Prof Akpalu said Africa lost over US$38 billion of fishery capital from 2003 to 2008 due to overfishing and the presence of too many fishing vessels.
He said Africa also lost US$2.3billion a year to Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing whilst Ghana lost over US$200 million every year due to irresponsible fishing practices.
Prof Akpalu, therefore, advised Government and stakeholders to demonstrate strong commitment to enforce regulations over the extraction and management of natural resources.
He also urged them to promote domestic investment in resource extraction for profits to be retained in the country and not go to foreign investors.
Teacher training colleges, according to Dr. Christian Addai-Poku, Registrar of the National Teaching Council (NTC), are to blame for teachers failing their license exams in large numbers.
According to him, these institutions did not train thestudentsin the requisite skills needed to manage and teach in classrooms.
This, he stressed makes the students victims.
“When you look at NTC data over time, at any point you will see an average of between 50% and 65% of the people who fail are distance and sandwich mode. Regular candidates tend to do better in the exam.
“The challenges are many but for me, I always say that the candidates are victims because the institutions are supposed to train them, and bring them out well refined and fit for purpose because you have admitted people for a programme, a professional programme,”
Speaking to the media, he explained that most institutions offered long-distance programmes and sandwich courses. However, NTC data showed that these people were in the majority of the failures recorded during the examination.
He stressed that these colleges failed at churning out students to fit well into the teaching profession.
Again, he added that if teachers did not have command over the English language and the skills needed to teach it was a major concern for the NTC.
“If a person is not well adapted in the knowledge, in the skills that the person is supposed to use in delivering, then we have a huge challenge. That is why these basic things that the people are not able to do is a problem,” he said.
Dr Addai- Poku said these failures started in 2018, since the licensure exam began, and the body has since taken steps to find lasting solutions to the problem.
Meanwhile, he said his outfit has been working behind close door to improve the process of the examination and reduce the failures.
This, he said had led to the NTC reforming the examination.
Key stakeholders have in the past week shared a similar view as the Registrar of NTC.
Notable amongst them is a former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Managementand Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof. Stephen Adei who urged critics and the public to desist from creating the impression that all teachers in the country are hopeless.
‘We shouldn’t see all teachers as hopeless over a few failures in licensure exam’ – Prof Adei
His comment follows revelations by the NTC that about 83.5% of candidates failed the teachers’ licensure exams held in May 2023.
Speaking to the media, on June 22, Prof Adei noted that the number of teachers that failed the exam is a small section compared to the over 300,000 teachers in the country, many of whom have successfully passed the exam.
He added that the teachers that failed in the 2023 May exams are those who failed previously in their multiple attempts to get through the exams.
The NTC noted that out of the 7,728 teachers who participated in the re-sit exams, only 1,277 passed.
The assessment in numeracy, literacy, and professional knowledge is to enable qualified teachers to get a professional license, while attracting young graduates with the required professional knowledge and skills to teach.
Ghanaian Dancehall artiste, Samini, has asked his fans to get ready for more soothing tunes from him.
The artist has been away for sometime to focus on his academics, however, he has disclosed that he is done pursuing his degree program at GIMPA.
According to him he needed to put his music career on hold as a result of a he once made to his parents.
Samini made this known in a post shared via social media.
He said “4 years ago I decided to challenge myself to a promise I made to my own damn self after high school. That I would one day go back and do university education just to complete the journey if not for anything to make mama proud since she was my biggest fan and played a major role in how I got to convince family to allow me to chose music over books.
“Today I’m proud to tell all my loved ones and well wishers that I’m Officially done with my exams for my PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAM at GIMPA BUSINESS SCHOOL and am awaiting Graduation….. Morale . YOU CAN DO IT NO MATTER HOW LATE. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. Back to the music. Lol. Dem no ready for what’s cooking smh.”
In the four years of studying Project Management, Samini became the Student Representative Council’s President (SRC) President of GIMPA where he led the student body of the esteemed University.
Ive finished the school and I can’t believe it. #TGBTG …. Grand #graduation loading. #akyesaaaaaaaaaa. Thanks to all my mates especially @KokoveliGh who reminded me of my promise to myself …BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. YOU CAN DO IT. ????????❤️✊???????? BACK TO THE MUSIC. Ready ? pic.twitter.com/RSL5ABrmML— SAMINI (@samini_dagaati) June 10, 2023
Dr Yaw Twerefour has been appointed as Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency byPresident Akufo-Addo.
His appointment, made in accordance with Article 195(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 100(1) of the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829), will see him in charge of the licencing, control, and regulation of facilities involved in the storage, transportation, and disposal of human remains.
The new appointee is a public health specialist and a medical practitioner with over ten years of experience.
He previously worked as the Medical Superintendent of Anyaa Polyclinic and in various capacities at Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region.
He has also served as an external consultant to the National Health Insurance Authorityand has worked as a resident medical and COVID support doctor at GHACEM and other corporate institutions.
Profile
Dr. Yaw Twerefour obtained his bachelor’s degree in medicine at First Moscow State Medical Academy.
He also holds Certificates in Occupational Health Safety (Nebosh International, United Kingdom) and Global Health Project Management and Leadership Management from the University of Washington in the United States.
Dr. Twerefour pursued postgraduate certificate courses in Health Administration and Management (HAM), Monitoring, and Evaluation, both at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Accra.
He holds a master’s in public health (MPH). He is a member of the Ghana Medical Association and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra.
Dr. Twerefour has co-authored two Medical Publications in the Lancet Medical Journal and the Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases.
His appointment awaits the ‘advice of the Governing Board of the Agency, in consultation with the Public Services Commission,” a letter signed by the Secretary to the President indicates.
A number of issues, according to former board chair of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Professor Stephen Adei, have contributed significantly to the current economic crisis.
According to Professor Adei, fundamental weaknesses in the economy include low productivity, systematic corruption, a lack of patriotism, a desire for foreign goods, and others.
“It is true that during the domestic debt exchange, those who were campaigning so that individuals do not accept it came out very strong on how expenditure can be reduced, and I agree with them. Government can manage the economy with less. We should be able to make our intentions so that we can avoid the lessons of the past.”
He maintains the blame game between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not solve any problems.
“I do not want to make pronouncements as to whether Akufo-Addo government is worse or better than the Mahama government. I think that there is a situation that makes the comparison to apples and oranges because both of them took us to IMF.”
Earlier this week, Prof. Adei took a dig at the Akufo-Addo government for its excessive borrowing which he says is the cause of the country’s economic crisis.
According to the renowned economist, although the emergence of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war may have affected Ghana’s economy, the fundamental mistake government made was to have borrowed beyond its capacity.
He is thus calling on the government to accept responsibility and work to change the fortunes of the country.
Professor Adei said this when he addressed journalists on the sidelines of the Signature Market Pre-launch campaign at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
“I think the biggest mistake they made is that they borrowed beyond our capacity to service it. If you are a country and you borrow beyond your capacity, you will be in trouble, of course, COVID-19 came in, and the Russia-Ukraine [war].
Professor Adei also wants Ghanaians to strictly hold government officials accountable to prevent a similar situation in future.
“We have to learn and not repeat our mistakes by going on a borrowing spree, we should become watchdogs. The leakages should be reduced, the level of corruption, the wastage from the government after government is high so we don’t get value for money,” he stated.
Ten recommendations and/or proposals have been given for consideration regarding the future of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana by participants at the 2023 edition of the law conference of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration(GIMPA).
On March 14 to 16, 2023, GIMPA hosted the GIMPA Law Conference. “The 1992 Constitution of Ghana @ 30: Taking Stock, Assessing Progress, and Dwelling on The Future” was the conference’s central focus.
reas of focus
The conference had several subthemes. Among them were; 30 Years of Multi-party democracy: Challenges and Prospects; The Economy and Financial Management in Ghana since 1993;Human Rights under the 1992 Constitution and Miscellaneous Constitutional Questions (including the political question doctrine).
Other subthemes of the conference were; Management of Natural Resources under the 1992 Constitution; Women’s Rights and Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Constitutional Review and Amendment of the 1992 Constitution; Interpretation and Enforcement of the 1992 Constitution; Contribution of the Judiciary to Constitutional Development; and finally, the Judiciary under the 1992 Constitution.
Recommendations
The recommendations and/or proposals suggested by participants at the 2023 GIMPA Law Conference, were firstly; “As a nation, we must embrace technology and its created systems as opposed to abandoning the idea of incorporating technology as a part of our governance architecture, due to foreseeable failures or challenges with technology that can be prevented and/or addressed.
Secondly, the conference participants recommended that “private prosecution of corruption related offences should be considered to help the State fight corruption” more effectively.
Thirdly, “Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution should be seriously looked at as it seems not to be serving the purposes which it was enacted” and fourthly, “the provision on the prohibition of an unconstitutional overthrow of the Constitution should be amended to explain what would constitute a suspension, an overthrow or an abrogation.
The fifth recommendation on the conference was that “we [Ghana] must consider a cap on the number of constituencies created as well as the number of Members of Parliament as this would help ease the pressure on the public purse.
Their sixth recommendation was that the country “must also consider returning to the 1979 Constitutional provisions on strict separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature, so that a Member of Parliament cannot be a Minister of State at the same time”. This the conference participants noted; “will help strengthen the institution of Parliament to serve as a check on the Executive”.
“The Legislature in enacting or amending new or old laws regulating natural resources should use as a blueprint, the law regulating the management of petroleum resources” was the seventh recommendation made by the experts who attended the conference.
The eighth recommendation was that “We should urgently take another look at the content of the Affirmative Action Bill to bring its provisions in line with contemporary realities, as well as ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol), and always make provision for persons with disabilities in all our laws”.
The process of enacting Executive instruments should be amended to include a process that reflects the principle of checks and balances and Discretionary powers of administrative bodies such as the Electoral Commission should be carefully circumscribed” constituted the ninth and tenth recommendations of the conference attendees.
Panel discussions
As part of the three-day programme, there were panel discussions on several topics. The first panel looked at the topic; “Thirty Years of Multi-Party Democracy: Challenges and Prospects”.
It was moderated by Dr. Enam Antonio, a Lecturer at the GIMPA Faculty of Law. The panelists included Mr Dennis Adjei Dwommoh, Managing Attorney, Law Plus, Mr Nicholas Lenin Anane, Lawyer, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. and Mr. Joshua Godwin Kyeremateng, Law Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Cape Coast.
Panel two and three (concurrent panels) considered the Economy and Financial Management in Ghana since 1993 and the impact of the 1992 Constitution on the Socio-Economic Development of Ghana.
Panel two was moderated by Dr. Dotse Tsikata, Principal Lecturer, GIMPA Faculty of Law and the panel members included Mr Clement Kojo Akapame, Senior Lecturer, GIMPA Faculty of Law, Dr Stephen Amoah, Member of Parliament, Nyiaeso Constituency and Mr Jesse Heymann, Associate, Koranteng & Koranteng Legal Advisors.
Panel three was moderated by Mr. Victor Brobbey, Adjunct Lecturer, GIMPA Faculty of Law with Mr. Reginald Nii Odoi, Assistant State Attorney, Office of the Attorney General & Ministry of Justice, Mr Edmund Nelson Amasah, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Mr Alexander Hackman-Aidoo, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Coast and Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Deputy Attorney General & Deputy Minister of Justice of Ghana, as members of the panel.
Other experts in various fields joined the discussion to look at other topics such as “Parliament is a Master of its own Rules, but the Constitution is a Master of all Rules: An Examination of the decision in the Justice Abdulai versus The Attorney-General case”, and Management of Natural Resources under the 1992 Constitution.
Other topics that came up for discussion during day two and three of the conference were: Women’s Rights and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Constitutional Review and Amendment of the 1992 Constitution; Interpretation and enforcement of the 1992 Constitution; and Contribution of the Judiciary to Constitutional development since 1993.
Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, according toDr. Stephen Amoah, deputy minister-designate for trade and industry, has done “tremendously well” in terms of safeguarding and managing the nation’s fiscal space.
Despite the numerous economic setbacks the nation has experienced over the years, the 1992 constitution, in his opinion, has done a great deal to maintain the country’s economy.
The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra hosted the GIMPA Law Conference 2023 on Tuesday. Dr. Amoah delivered a presentation at the conference.
Held under the theme: “The 1992 Constitution of Ghana @ 30; Taking Stock, Assessing Progress and Reflecting on the Future”, the event brought together experts as well as thought leaders across various facets of the country’s economy to discuss the impact of the country’s constitution on the socioeconomic life of the citizens.
In his presentation, Dr. Stephen Amoah, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nhyieaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region, noted that “most of our challenges as a country comes to this point of how our fiscal space is managed by government”.
“Here in Ghana, we have been experiencing ‘negative effective tax rates’. It doesn’t matter who is in government. Prior to the Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war, all revenues generated by government has always been less than how much it has spent. Government always spends more than it earns. But the constitution has made provisions such that governments are forced to spend only within a certain means.”
Citing the issue of taxes and waivers, the lawmaker stressed that “if not for the constitution, successive governments would have abused tax privileges”, and added that the constitution “has put a check on all activities of those in authority in that government cannot wake up and impose taxes.”
According to Dr. Amoah, “this common saying that the private sector is the engine of growth has proven to be true in all modern economies. There is a global shift from socialism to capitalism and this has been successful as a result of the supporting constitution of the Republic of Ghana.”
He also added that the constitution has ensured the socioeconomic freedoms of all citizens in that it makes provisions for every person to “work under satisfactory, safe and healthy conditions and to receive equal pay for equal work without distinction of any kind”.
This, he opined, would have been worse, especially considering the kind of political culture we experience in Ghana.
“The Constitution has helped us as a country to properly manage our funds. It has provided everything we need as a country and has also contributed immensely towards building this beautiful country of ours”, he concluded.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, theDeputy Majority Leader, has suggested that the 275-seat in Parliament be decreased to 200 seats.
According to the member of parliament from the Effutu seat, this will reduce the strain on the public coffers.
“I must say that one critical thing to look at is to put an upper limit on the number of MPs that we must elect each year. It is unpalatable that a small country like Ghana with its many financial problems has 275 MPs. In contrast with all its financial muscle, Australia has 151 and 76 senators. We need a change in the law to stop the unnecessary expansion in the number of seats in our Parliament.”
The Effutu legislator made the comments at this year’s GIMPA Law Conference on Wednesday, March 15.
He added thatGhananeeds an Upper chamber which will be known as the House of Elders. To this end, he has proposed that the Council of State be converted to serve this purpose.
“I hold the view that Ghana needs an upper chamber, it should be known as the House of Elders whose election shall remain non-partisan and whose primary role shall be to moderate the current parliamentary excesses and extreme partisanship.
“Thus the Council of State should be converted into the Upper Chamber of Parliament…I am not suggesting that the current Council of State is not helpful.”
Mr. Afenyo-Markin also lamented challenges regarding the role of MPs stating that they have become development agents contrary to their lawmaking and representation of electorate functions.
This he said has made some MPs retire as paupers and live miserable lives. He added that claims that some MPs are corrupt are completely untrue if one looks at the life of some MPs after they leave the House.
“Although lawmakers are not strictly speaking development agents, many MPs have had to dig so deep into their private pockets to provide public infrastructure to benefit underserved communities in their constituencies. In the process, many MPs have retired as paupers and have to deal with the pain of paying for private loans they contracted in their time in office to provide for the needs of their constituents.”
The award-winning morning show host graduated with a Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy.
Rocking a lace dress in the colour gold, she beamed with smiles as she graduated from the institution. The dress was a corset dress styled with beads. The big bow on the back of the dress added some spice to her entire outfit.
She was spotted wearing her graduation gown and cap as well as her kente sash which had her name and the course she pursued at the institution.
A few of her family and friends brought her a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her as they shared the memorable day of Abena Kyei Boakye.
Below is a video of Abena Kyei Boakye and her adorable family and friends on her commemoration day.
Dr. Louisa Satekla-Ansong has earned a masters in public health after successfully graduating from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)on Friday December 16, 2022.
Earning her MPh Masters in Public Health from the illustrious Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the celebrated Ghanaian health personality and entrepreneur’s new educational success adds to a list of significant academic distinctions earned throughout her career.
Dr. Louisa is an award-winning Dental Surgeon who practices at Charisma Dental Clinic in Accra, Ghana. She previously graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2016, where she received a distinction and was awarded the prestigious Overall Best Student Prize.
She has received numerous nominations and awards throughout her professional career, including the 2021 Ghana Outstanding Women Awards (GOWA) and Pulse Health Influencer of the Year for her enormous contribution to Ghana’s development and giving back to society. Her clinic has been the destination for celebrities, such as Davido, Stonebwoy, Wizkid, KiDi, Joselyn Dumas, and more, seeking expert guidance on their dental health.
Dr. Louisa Ansong-Satekla is currently the official FDI World Dental Federation Ambassador for World Oral Health Day 22, using her wealth of experience to raise awareness about the importance of good oral health and its vital role in securing overall health and well-being. She is also a brand ambassador for Vien Health.
On Friday, December 3, 2022, a female passenger was riding home late from a fun night out with some friends when her driver began acting extremely weird.
According to the victim who has only been identified as Diana, she said it was around 1:30 AM on Saturday when she was on her way back home, using the GIMPA bypass.
She explained that she had ordered for a car using the hailing service, Yango, but along the way, she noticed that her driver made a wrong turn.
Immediately, she said she drew his attention to it but got the response from the driver that he was only using a shorter route.
Speaking to GhanaWeb over the phone, she continued that while on the GIMPA road, the driver told her he wanted to attend to nature’s call and then he suddenly parked by the roadside.
“Suddenly, two men emerged from the bush and entered the car. Together with the driver, they then drove me into the bushes and asked for my monies and phone. With a knife pointed at me, I emptied my bag and handed everything to them.
“They then asked me to log out of my iCloud and subsequently took my mobile phone Mobile Money PIN from me,” she narrated.
Speaking from her hospital bed at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), where she is receiving treatment ahead of a surgery, she said things did not end there.
Diana stressed that the driver then drove to a spot around the John Teye Memorial School and they forced her out of the car, and into the bushes.
She explained that they sexually molested her before harming her physically with a sharp object.
“Not satisfied, they drove me all the way to the bushes around John Teye Memorial School, and stripped me naked and threatened to kill me. They then inflicted deep cuts on my hands and in my palm before they fled the scene,” she said.
According to Diana, some inhabitants heard her shouts from the bush and came to her rescue. They then sent her to the Ridge Hospital.
The case was subsequently reported at the Ofankor Police Station, after her family had been informed of what happened.
The police have since confirmed receipt of the complaints and have assured that everything will be done to arrest the perpetrators.
So far, the police are on a hunt for the Yango driver and his two accomplices; who are on the run. They are being charged with robbery.
The Dean made the move following a recommendation by an Inter-faculty committee.
The Inter-faculty committee was constituted by Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Budu to look into the claims of vote rigging brought by one of the contestants in the election, Mr. Michael Adu Takyi, a Pro-Npp candidate.
Maxwell Adu Takyi – Petitioner (Pro-NPP)
The election had originally been called by the Electoral Commission in favor of the Pro-NDC candidate, Mr. Festus Matey but was challenged by Mr. Adu Takyi on several claims including over-voting.
Mr. Festus Matey – 1st Defendant (Pro-NDC)
STATEMENT OF CLAIM – PETITIONER
1) The Petitioner is a level 400 student of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), pursuing a Bachelor of Laws programme and a member of the GIMPA Law Students Association (LSA).
2) The first defendant is the principal legal advisor of the Law Students’ Association.
3) The Electoral Commission of the Law Students’ Association is established under Article 10 of the Constitution of Law Students Association and is the only institution mandated by the LSA Constitution to conduct and supervise all elections pertaining to elective posts of the LSA.
4) The petitioner contends further that the Electoral Commission (EC), in accordance with Article 10(1) to 10(4) of the LSA Constitution was constituted.
5) The Electoral Commission conducted the GIMPA LSA Election 2022 which was shrouded in conspiracy with many instances of irregularities reported.
6) On 1st June 2022, following a meeting with management in an attempt to resolve the election concerns of all parties, it was resolved that the election should be held the following day on the caveat that all the aspirants had to meet with the Electoral Commissioner (EC), and should they have any reasonable concerns the EC had to address same before voting.
7) The Petitioner’s experts after analyzing the system found many irregularities bothering on the registration, mode of elections and software issues.
8) Concerns were raised with the EC and unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears. The report of the Petitioner’s expert consulted is tendered into evidence and titled “Election Credibility Report”.
9) During the Election, numerous instances of irregularities were recorded (video recording). The EC did not recognize the PDF as the election results.
Interestingly, all three (3) Electoral Commissioners responsible for conducting and declaring the winners for the various positions contested were conspicuously absent during the hearing. They were however represented by their legal representative.
RESPONSE BY EC REPRESENTATIVE
1)The 2nd Respondent admitted to paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the petitioner’s petition.
2) The 2nd Respondent denied paragraph 5 of the petitioner’s petition and says that, the averment in paragraph 5 of the petitioner’s petition is a blatant lie and is aimed at throwing dust in the eyes of this honorable committee to prejudice and embarrass the 2nd Respondent.
3) The 2nd Respondent admitted to paragraph 6 in part to the extent that, there was an election run on Wednesday, 1st June, 2022 which was rerun on Thursday 2nd June, 2022 after the concerns of all interested parties have been resolved.
4) The 2nd Respondent denied paragraph 7 of the petitioner’s petition and says that, the petitioner is on a journey of self-serving unrealistic and unproved facts and puts the petitioner to strict proof.
5) The 2nd Respondent denied paragraphs 8 and 8 as repeated in the petition, denies paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the petitions as presented by the petitioner and says that these are concocted allegations without any merit and puts petitioner to strict proof.
6) The 2nd respondent in as mandated by Article 10 of the LSA Constitution on Thursday, 2nd June, 2022 duly conducted a most credible election which had the 3rd Respondent emerge as the elected candidate for the President of the GIMPA LSA.
7) The 2nd respondent stated that the election was rerun solely to afford all candidates a fair audit of the system prior to the rerun-on Thursday, 2nd June, 2022 and petitioner never raised any concerns with the credibility of the electoral system but rather submitted himself to the conduct of the election.
8) The 2nd respondent averred that the petitioner never carried out any audit or provided a reason for his failure to audit the system before the election of Thursday, 2nd June, 2022 as agreed to by all parties.
9) The 2nd respondent further submitted that no credible, germane audit was carried out by the petitioner or any of his assigns which demonstrated any flaw or insecurity in the entire electoral process carried out on Thursday, 2nd June, 2022.
10) The 2nd respondent submitted that the allegations made by the petitioner to seem as facts are untrue, unreliable, irrelevant and constitute trumped up allegations crafted to fit the petitioner’s narrative.
11) The 2nd respondent stated that the petitioner by his own admission commissioned at least one unauthorized, hostile actor to interfere with the electoral system while the election was underway leading to the pause of voting in order to safeguard cast ballots and to eliminate any possibility of a success in the attempt to alter the votes cast, after which voting resumed.
12) The 2nd respondent submitted that the EC carried out its duties fully and within the stipulation of Article 11 of the LSA Constitution and never fouled any rules governing elections as the results declared depict the true state and nature of the election of executives for the GIMPA LSA.
13) The 2nd respondent with leave of court during the trial shall render evidence and produce all relevant documents where necessary to assist the court in coming to a justiciable conclusion.
14) Wherefore the 2nd respondent denied the claims of the petitioner.
CONCLUSIONS BY COMMITTEE
First, during the hearing, the EC Representative was unable to provide the requested evidence which affected the credibility of their claim that the election was free and fair. The representative rather gave excuses to justify the absence of the requested evidence. For instance, he said the systems report was unavailable because the election software vendor had destroyed the data since he had no more contract with the Commission.
The systems report would have helped this committee to compare and verify the election results as generated from the system directly, and that of what was declared by the Electoral Commission as displayed in an editable Microsoft Word document projected on the wall of the “strong room”. The situation we faced is like a paper-based election without “pink sheets”.
Further, the audit trail would have helped this committee to verify the allegations of the system’s outage during the election exercise. This verification is important because the system’s outage is further linked to two allegations:
a) That the system was deliberately hacked to prevent further voting so that the election results will be declared as is, in favour of one of the candidates.
b) That the presidential election results were swapped to disadvantage the losing candidate. Hence, we could have verified the electorate’s choices – albeit anonymously.
Second, neither the election software nor its developer was available for demonstration and questioning, respectively. The committee would have done a run-through of the software by undertaking a typical vote, and then generating a report to understand the software’s algorithm. Our inability to achieve this cast doubts on the inner workings of the algorithm, especially because some of the candidates did not have the opportunity to conduct a pre-election audit of the software – whether deliberately or accidentally.
Third, on the technical difficulties the committee faced with accessing the software, its audit trail and the
voting data, we suggest a lack of transparency in the electoral process which casts a doubt on the election results.
Though the Committee’s focus was the elections on June 2, 2022 we noted that there were some gaps in the LSA Constitution which are that:
• There are no clear guidelines for the election process.
• The LSA Vice President position is independently contested which has the tendency to create an imbalance in the leadership representation.• The independence of the EC is not well outlined.
FINAL DECISION BY DEAN OF SCHOOL OF LAW
Acting per the recommendations of the Inter-faculty committee, the Dean of the School of Law, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu directed as follows:
a. The LSA Elections of June 2022 is set aside.
b. For the avoidance of doubt, the following persons previously elected on 2nd June 2022 as LSA executives are no longer LSA executives and are hereby prohibited from holding themselves as such:
Festus Matey
Rosabeth Akiwele Avio
Grace Fredericka Lutterodt
Nathaniel Akyea
c. An Interim Management Committee (IMC) made up of class representatives from all levels and streams (Day and Evening) is to be constituted immediately to manage the affairs of the LSA until new LSA electives are elected.
Although he has not clearly stated it, President Akufo-Addo has, however, given a roadmap on the possibility of taking action on a demand made on him by some Members of Parliament.
The call by the 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, was for the president to sack the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
As surprising as the news has been, particularly since the minister is a member of their party and this is the first time any such thing has happened in the country, it has already brought up suggestions on who could take over as the country’s finance minister.
In an earlier GhanaWeb story, three names have come up for the job: Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah, Professor Gyan Baffour, and Kwame Pianim.
GhanaWeb further places the spotlight on these individuals to understand what they bring to the job, in the instance that they get it.
Below is a profile of Professor Gyan Baffour:
Prof George Yaw Gyan Baffour is currently the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission and Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Finance.
He is a former Member of Parliament who represented the Wenchi Constituency from 2005 to 2021. He was a professor at Howard University in Washington DC from 1993 to 2021.
He is an economist, a banker and an insurer.
Being an economist, Professor George Gyan Baffour has mainly sat on parliamentary committees that relate to his field, which include the Special Budget Committee, the Education Committee, and the Poverty Reduction Committee, and he was once the Acting Chair of the Special Budget Committee.
The ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed Prof George Gyan Baffour as the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission in 2002. It was during his time that he established the first system for overseeing and assessing the rate of national development.
He oversaw the development of the coordinated program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Ghana. He was a member of various boards, including the Bank of Ghana (2005-2008), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 2003 to 2005.
He has a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a post-Doctorate Diploma from Harvard University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Bsc (Hons) in Economics from the University.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the Finance Minister, focusing mainly on Sustainable Development Goals and climate change mitigation financing.
He is the UN Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Ambassador in the UN’s SUN movement focal person for Ghana and Executive Committee Excom Member representing Central and Eastern Africa.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana in March 2005. As a Minister For Planning, he was the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDGs.
All roads are leading to Airport Residential, WAEC Heights on Saturday 2nd July, 2022, for the 2022 GIMPA Law School Dinner organised by The Great Gatsby.
The theme for the soiree has been dubbed “Great Gatsby Night”, due to inspiration from “Great Gatsby Nightâ€, a novel written in 1925 by F.Scott Fitzgerald.
Final year students of GIMPA who have gone through the school’s law programme which lasted 3 to 4 years with all the trials and tribulations will be present.
To make the night a success, your presence and support is therefore requested.
There will entertaining parts like Launch of GIMPA law faculty Alumni, Presentation of awards, Boosting of law GIMPA law faculty social media platform and website and Dinner party.
The glorious event will commence with a 2-hour red carpet session which starts at 5pm. After, the dinner commences and this will last till 1am.
Having you at the party will be a great pleasure. This is an event you wouldn’t want to miss. Look forward to seeing you.
The Auditor-General has in its 2019 audit issued directives to some tertiary institution to recover in excess of GH¢ 327,800 spent on training some lecturers who refused to return to the schools after their training.
The Auditor-General is on the heels of persons as he has identified their betrayal of trust as an irregularity committed by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Sunyani Technical University, Ho Technical University and the Cape Coast Technical University.
The report which mentioned the names of the beneficiaries and the amount spent on each person added that the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities will have to pay the debt if the beneficiaries fail to honour it.
In the case of GIMPA, the Auditor-General said, “the GH¢327,800.24 spent on Mr. Dominic Npoanlari Dagbanja should be recovered from him or his guarantors in the event that the Institute cannot recover it from him; also, members of staff who have completed their courses of study must report to the Institute to serve their bond period or pay the amount expended on them with interest,†the report said.
At the Takoradi Technical University, three lectures were found to have been paid monies they did not deserve.
“Two employees of the University, Kusi Ankrah Bonsu (Lecturer) and Foster Adade (Lecturer) who vacated post after their study leave with pay had expired were paid a total amount of GH₵ 63,555.60 from March 2019 to December 2019. We also noted that Mr. Anthony Boateng Addai, a former employee of the University who became separated by way of Study Leave without pay was paid one month salary of GH₵ 1,010.00 after his separation, bringing unearned salary payments to GH₵ 64,565.60,†the report indicated.
The Auditor-General also identified some irregularities in the financial report of the Sunyani Technical Universities.
“In reviewing personal files of the sponsored staffs, we noted that the University sponsored Dr Eric Nsiah Gyabaah, a Lecturer at the Accountancy Department to pursue a PhD programme in Business Administration at the Argosy University, Dallas for the period September 1, 2011, to 30 June 2017. We, however, noted that the officer only served the University for two out of the required six years after completing his studies and subsequently vacated post in July 2019.â€
“In another development, Mr Adade Foster, a Lecturer with Department of Accountancy was granted study leave with pay from 18/2/2015- 18/2/2019 to pursue PhD in Business Administration (Accounting Option) at the Cyprus International University, North Cyprus for fours (4) years. He requested an extension of study leave on 9/September/2019 for one year till December 2020 after returning to work from September 2017 to April 2018. Management did not approve his extension request. He, therefore, vacated post on 18/2/2019.â€
“Moreover, Mr Kusi Ankrah Bonsu, a Lecturer with Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering was granted study leave with pay from September/2016-July/2019 to pursue a three (3) years PhD in Information and Communication Engineering at the Nanjing University of Post and Telecommunication, China. He, however, did not return to serve his bond after the programme.â€
“According to the bond agreement, the officers were to serve the University for a period of six and five years respectively after completing the courses or refund all expenses plus interest incurred on their studies. The officers are, therefore, indebted to the University to the tune of GH¢431,328.56 in respect of salaries paid to them throughout the programmes,†excerpts of the report read.
Criminal law lecturer and Head of the Private Law Department of the GIMPA Faculty of Law, Dr. Isidore Kwadwo Tufuor, says the punishment prescribed in the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012) as passed by Parliament and assented to by the President are excessive and disproportionate.
The learned law lecturer made the observation when he delivered via Zoom, the third lecture of the fourteen (14) week-long “Law and Ethics Web Seriesâ€, under the theme, “Covid-19 and New Crime Trendsâ€, on Wednesday the 20th of May 2020. The online seminar is organized jointly by the African Centre on Law and Ethics (ACLE) and the African Centre of International Criminal Justice (ACICJ), both based at the GIMPA Faculty of Law.
The main provision in Act 1012 that Dr. Tufuor picks issue with is section six (6) of the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012). The section states as follows:
“A person who fails to comply with a restriction imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection (1) of section 2 commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than one thousand penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than four years and not more than ten years or to bothâ€.
Dr. Tufuor, contends that custodial sentence of not less than four (4) years and not more than ten (10) years is totally disproportional to the offence.
“The issue that we have to concern ourselves with is the punishment that the Statute prescribes. This is so because anytime you have the imposition of restrictions, and in this case via Act 1012, the State is essentially derogating from compliance with the civil and political rights of the people†the law lecturer said.
“To make it a crime of this magnitude where the minimum punishment is four (4) years and the maximum, ten (10) years, is just extremeâ€. “This is a law that has got a good motive but, the punishment attached to it in terms of its criminality is excessive†Dr Tufuor added.
Community Service Law
As an alternative to the custodial sentence in the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012), Dr. Tufuor suggested that law makers in Ghana should consider passing a community service law that will empower judges to sentence offenders of the Restrictions Act to engage in community service or be placed on probation for a specified period of time.
“This is something we have to start thinking about seriously, that is having a community service law which to me gives the benefit to the State. If you wrong the society, you should come back to the society to make some repairs or some reparation†the learned lawyer suggested.
Bio Terrorism
In his submission, Dr. Isidore Kwadwo Tufuor, noted that there is a new trend of terrorism that could emerge from the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and that he called “Bio Terrorismâ€. He explained that “Bio Terrorism†is what criminologist say is an act were an individual who is infected with a deadly virus decides to go into the midst of heavily populated communities in order to pass on the virus to unsuspecting members of the community.
“We have this new conception of the human weapon. One person that may be a carrier of viral disease can infect people on a mass scale that can kill people more than using or detonating a bomb on a particular territory. The new trend we are looking at is one person being more than a weapon, one person being more than an atomic bomb who can enter one particular country or territory and basically finish everybody. We have to learn from Covid-19, wherever it started from, now we have hundreds of thousands, millions of people infected and thousands of people dead. This is more dangerous than any biological weapon†Dr. Tufuor stressed.
The Law and Ethics Web Series
The Law and Ethics Web Series begun on Wednesday the 6th of May 2020 on the online meeting platform, Zoom at 2pm. The pending presentations on May 27, Jun 3, Jun 10, Jun 17, Jun 24, Jul 1, Jul 8, Jul 15, Jul 22, Jul 29, and Aug 5, 2020, will come on as scheduled. Interested persons may join any of the upcoming sessions by visiting the Zoom application and using the Webinar ID:848-2795-062 or https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84827950621
Various speakers have been lined up for the exercise by the organizers. The series is being coordinated by Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, a Lecturer and Head of Law Centers at the GIMPA Faculty of Law. The 20th of May 2020 session was moderated by Maame Yaa Akyiaa Barnes, a Lecturer at the Law Department of Lancaster University Ghana, under the distinguished patronage of the Rector of GIMPA, Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, the Honorific Dean of the GIMPA Law Faculty, Justice Sir Dennis Adjei and the founding dean of the GIMPA Law Faculty, Professor Kwame Frimpong.
