Past Embezzlements Become Banana Peel For Immediate Past GIMPA SRC President

Various acts of corruption that a past President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is alleged to have committed have returned to haunt him.

Mr. Benjamin Ansah’s certificate has reportedly been withheld by the school while an investigation has been opened into his administration, it has been reported.

A letter which had gone viral on the students WhatsApp platforms from a group calling itself “Concerned Students of GIMPA” has petitioned the school authorities to probe the embattled Ansah for embezzlement, fraud and election malpractices among other offensive things that he is said to have done when he was President.

“GIMPA SRC has been in the news for the past years for several financial malfeasance and we believe this is enough. It’s time to investigate,” the letter opens.

It lists four major criminalities that it accuses Ansah of using his office to commit, including doling out SRC monies to his girlfriend and a close associate and also using a ghost names scheme to siphon money from the SRC.

It said that Ansah had listed eight names for instance, as members of a delegation from GIMPA that had attended a University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) program, even though only three people had attended the program.

“From our investigations only 3 representatives of the school went for the program thus making all receipts presented by the President and the treasure fraudulent. The financial officer of USAG was coerced into signing those receipts to save the image of the SRC President after you requested for documents. The President and his financial officers took money supposedly to be given to 10 people for capitation. Sir we believe you are already aware of this.

“This correct list are Benjamin Ansah, Papa Kofi Arhin, Matilda Hammond,” the petition said.

Then after an SRC Week had been marked, Ansah allegedly sent a list of vendors to the SRC Finance office to be paid for their services, in which he inserted the name of his girlfriend, Grace Aboagye, to whom he allotted Ghc12,000.

“…We find it strange that the girlfriend of the President Grace Aboagye is listed and paid GHC12,000. This raises serious issues of conflicts of interest and the intent of the President to dupe the SRC of such a huge amount. We therefore question the amount paid to the rest of the vendors.”

The petition also raises questions over Ghc14,000 that was paid to a close friend of the then President.

“We also find it strange that Rukiatu Muibi Iddris, a very close friend of Mr. Ansah, is also paid GHC 14,575.00. Sir we need serious investigation and auditing into this issue.”

Benjamin Ansah is also said to have used his position as President of GIMPA SRC to divert part of the allowances of some GIMPA executives to himself creaming off two months allowances of some 14 executives is said to have hauled in some Ghc8,400 to Ansah when he was President.

According to the petitioners, the immediate past GIMPA SRC President also used his powers to silence people who questioned him over the embezzlements by removing them from office.

The Finance Office of GIMPA paid SRC Committee heads 8 months for the two semesters yet the SRC Finance officers insisted they were paid 6 months thus told officers to return two months to the SRC finance officers.

“600 for 2 months multiplied by the 14 committee heads is GHC 8,400 for the SRC Finance officers. The records of the General Assembly show only about 3 committee heads were sworn in. When the Speaker interrogated the Finance chair he was removed from his role as a speaker.

“Sir, the Immediate past SRC finance officers have shown how greedy, selfish, corrupt and the desire to take every money available in the coffers of the SRC.”

In the name of GIMPA, the SRC President was also said to have entered into an agreement with a real estate company to rent hostels for the students of GIMPA. however, unbeknownst to everybody, Ansah had entered an agreement that probably only inured to his own benefit to the disadvantage of GIMPA and its students.

“During the Ansah Administration he went into a deal with a company to provide an affordable hostel for students which was commendable, however the initial plan was for the company to pay a percentage to the GIMPA SRC.

“The president however did not present any contract between the SRC and the Company to General Assembly for approval. The company has never paid any money to the SRC for the past 2 semesters.”

According to the petitioners, after he had a very corrupt administration, Mr. Ansah then rigged the SRC election for a favorite of his to succeed him as President so that his misdeeds would be covered.

“The President in a bid to cover his tracks conspired to disqualify the other candidates and make his favorite person win the election to cover for him.

“We have seen how the president has disrespected the Secretariat of the institute.We demand sanctions,” the petitioners wrote.