Angry students of GIMPA threaten demo over new, outrageous parking levy by management

Some students of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) have registered their disgust at the attempts by the school management to implement what they say is a policy that would cripple them financially.

The students have since served notice that they will hit the streets over the decision.

In a letter from the management of GIMPA, signed by the Director of Estate and Municipal Services, Lawrence Avevors, and addressed to all staff and students, it stated that the school had taken inventory of all the car parking spaces, and would henceforth demarcate them with a unique serial number each.

This is said to take effect from March 14, 2022.

Accordingly, the statement said that the institution would be implementing a revised parking policy from the main campus, a policy which would see interested students paying as high as GH¢500 per semester should it be implemented.

Also, the statement indicated that the parking space now earmarked as premium will include all parking spaces around the Ghana Law faculty, the business school and other faculties, with the only free space being the parking space heading towards the main gate.

“Students interested in obtaining the premium parking space and electronic access may send their expression of interest with required fee of GH¢500 for the second semester ending 31st August 2022,” the GIMPA management stated.

But this has angered a majority of the student body, especially those at the GIMPA law faculty as they expressed their disappointment and opposition to the new arrangement by the institution.

Registering their displeasure on the matter through an electronic petition, and made available to GhanaWeb, the concerned students of the GIMPA Law Faculty said this move is outrageous.

“The imposition of a GH¢500 premium parking service translates into an approximate cost of GHS7.4 parking fee per school day, GH¢1000 parking fee per academic year or GH¢1,500 when three semesters are run within a year (a case in point is the 2021 Year). We find this rate as outrageous and excessive to already overburdened law students of GIMPA.

“The law faculty parking space is designed purposely for the faculty, law students and other users of the building. Parking therefore must be on a first-come-first-served basis and not on a ‘premium-rate’ basis. The lack of pedestrian pathways leading to the faculty pose a high-security risk to the safety of the students who would have to walk to the faculty. This risk is further heightened at night or dawn due to the poor lighting systems on the roads and in the car parks on the campus,” their petition read in part.

Some of the students who spoke with GhanaWeb said the current challenging economic times make this decision an even more worrying one and they hope the management of the school would review it.

“I believe the GH¢500 is unfair especially for law students. The parking at the law faculty should be first come, first served basis. 500 per semester fee for parking is too much considering the fees we are paying. During the Covid era, a petition was made for a rebate of the fees since we didn’t not make use of the classroom and other amenities. The school is yet to refund or honor this petition. Students cannot receive a double slap by paying GH500 for parking. The fees we are paying at GIMPA is not cheap for us to pay for parking. This is clear extortion and the administration must reconsider this decision,” one of them said.

Another student said, “I support this petition absolutely. The new proposed parking charge is outrageous. It is only fair that students be allowed to park for the few hours they’ll be campus for lectures without unnecessary financial burden.”

Meanwhile, checks from the University of Ghana, where it is believed this new decision by the management of GIMPA is being imported from, showed that its students are charged GH¢400 for an entire academic year, unlike the per semester arrangement at the Greenhill Campus.