GIMPA SRC broke; all activities frozen over dues mismanagement

MAJOR GIMPA SRC ACTIVITIES ON HOLD – NO AVAILABLE FUNDS

Regrettably, we are displeased to share with you the unfortunate news regarding the latest developments on the above subject matter.

It will be recalled that we the current Executives following a successful election took charge of the office on the 16th day of November 2021 to carry up the mandate of being the voice and the body to champion the interest and welfare of the general student body of the Institute.

Since the takeover of administration, we have, as leaders, done nothing more than pursue higher interests, which are geared toward the greater good of students of GIMPA.

However, we are pressed to come back to you, our cherished students who form the membership of the council and all other stakeholders who have the interest of the GIMPA SRC at heart, not to complain, but to keep you abreast with the issues of facts, that have set the SRC handicapped to operate within its capacity as per law prescribes and the way forward as the administration coming to an end.

Without fear or favour, we the leadership of the 2021/2022 GIMPA SRC, are stating without any equivocation, that GIMPA Management has not been transparent with funds collected on behalf of the students, failed to properly account for, and is unable to release same to the leadership of various campuses for Operationalization of the union.

It should be noted that since the year 2019 to date, the student dues which are collected by the GIMPA Management on account of the SRC, have been in the custody of the institute from the year 2020 until our assumption of office in November 2021, the SRC was not properly constituted to operate in its fullest capacity. Since the takeover of administration, leadership was faced with the difficulty of access to the bank account of the SRC as there was impending litigation between the Former ( 2018/2019 ) SRC President and the GIMPA Management for issues of similar instances. As an administration, we took the boldest decision and the pain of not requesting money directly from the source (GIMPA Management), until the bank account issues are resolved to ensure proper financial administration. Eventually, the same was achieved following the setup of a joint committee composed of the old (2018/2019) and the current Executives of the SRC.

Again, it is instructive to note that at its 55th sitting on the 24th of March 2020, the Governing Council of the Institute issued a strict directive to Management to regularize the SRC bank account, reconcile funds due to the SRC which was in the custody of Management and submit a report on same at its next sitting.

This was following a petition which was sent to the Chairman of the GIMPA Council for his interventions. Unfortunately, the GIMPA Management still has not been able to release funds that by themselves reported to the Governing Council as readily available to the SRC account of various campuses. Upon the numerous follow-ups, nothing worth sharing has turned up other than mere rhetoric, contradictory stories and unimaginable excuses.

These conducts by the GIMPA Management have caused the SRC in no small measure. Typically is the renovation of the Student’s learning room at the GIMPA main campus of which the SRC on its own, having secured a donation of a Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (5,000), made an initial deposit for the supply of learning chairs to enhance the usage of the facility.

This was done in anticipation of funds to be released from Management to complete the process. Unfortunately, this is going to cost the SRC some more debts since unable to honour its part of financial obligations timeously.

Again, with the devastating nature of the SRC block, we the leadership took the decision to rehabilitate the offices to fit for purpose as Management has remained adamant about all our calls as well as previous administrations. Upon request for funds, we were told by Management the rehabilitation would be undertaken by the Management themselves around in no time.

It is regrettable to state that till the dying days of our administration, the SRC block still, has further deteriorated to a more devastating abyss without any show of an attempt by Management to that effect. What is more painful, as widely anticipated by the student body the celebration of the traditional weeklong celebration which event takes effect every year as it happens in all other tertiary institutions, (i.e. SRC Week celebration), we regret to inform you that this year’s activities which were planned and calendared for 30th May 2022 to 3rd June 2022 have been cancelled indefinitely as a result of lack of funds to carry up the program among other very important projects the administration has in store.

We have taken this action as a decision by the leadership of the SRC, as at this point it has become abundantly necessary amidst the difficulty and turmoil encountered, to enable the leadership to set investigations into what has accounted for the failure of the GIMPA Management and their inability to release funds due to the SRC to undertake its projects and programs as a mandate. As an administration, we deem it right to inform you the students of the Institute, custodians, and the main stakeholders of the SRC, how your monies are put to use.

We dare state here with facts, that the GIMPA Management over the period has not been transparent with the students’ funds, is unwilling to transparently account for, and is unable to release same to the SRC for its operations.

And this is not limited only to our dispensation.

In view of the above, we entreat you our cherished students, to remain resolute and stand with us in unison and in one accord, as we pursue this issue with all the seriousness that it deserves.

We are critically mindful of the task ahead, but we believe also, that this must be done not for today but for the future.

As leaders, we are prepared to implore the use of any appropriate medium to address this unfortunate havoc being meted on the SRC by the institute.

In the soon to come days we shall give to you our dear students, further updates with several releases dubbed, “LET THE STUDENTS KNOW”, informing you on the happenings so far and measures taken to mitigate this canker without any fear of intimidation.