Five GIMPA lecturers owe GHC1.7m after defaulting on PhD sponsorship bonds

The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has disclosed that five lecturers sponsored to pursue doctoral programmes abroad have failed to honour their bond obligations, leaving a total debt of GHC1.7 million owed to the institution.

The revelation was made on Monday, 12 January, during a sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, where the Registrar of GIMPA, Victoria Kumbuor, detailed the extent of the default and steps being taken to recover the funds.

According to figures presented to the committee, Ann-Shirley Appiatse owes GHC777,000, Julius Quarshie owes GHC524,000, Dr Hanson Addy owes GHC224,000, Afua Ataa Boakyewaa owes GHC230,000, while Christiana Osei Bonsu has an outstanding balance of GHC38,700.

Kumbuor explained that the debts stem from staff development sponsorships granted by GIMPA to enable faculty members pursue PhD programmes abroad, with the condition that beneficiaries return to serve the institute after completing their studies.

“Even though they signed the bonds, some of them refused to return. As a result, a decision was made to freeze their entitlements, including their provident fund and credit scheme benefits, as well as those of their guarantors,” she told the committee.

She added that GIMPA has also frozen the entitlements of guarantors who backed the defaulting lecturers under the bonding arrangements, as part of enforcement measures to recover the funds.

Kumbuor said the actions form part of the institute’s broader efforts to protect public funds and ensure strict compliance with sponsorship agreements.

“We have been able to recover some of the money,” she noted, adding that recovery efforts are ongoing.

The issue forms part of Parliament’s wider scrutiny of public institutions over financial accountability and the management of staff development funds.