The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) has advised public universities in the country to conduct thorough investigation into administrative staff and lecturers before recruiting them. The committee advised growing fake university staff and lecturers from some public universities in the country.
At its seating in Tamale, the committee members expressed their disappointment at the management of the Bolgatanga Technical University for the payment they made to one of their non-teaching staff, Mr Emmanuel Akay. The university granted study leave with pay to further his studies in the master’s program at GIMPA.
But the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) study conducted on lectures before the convention of Polytechnics to the Technical Universities indicates Mr Akay’s certificates were fake.
The school without the knowledge of the fake certificate upgraded Mr Akay and paid him according to his upgraded certificate. However, upon realizing it reported the matter to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and Mr Akay was put on the wanted list.
An amount of over 376,000 cedis was paid to him but he managed to pay 5000 to EOCO and has since been reporting once in a week. PAC members told school management that Mr Akay’s payment was slow and advised the school to take the necessary action and prosecute him in court.
Ranking member of the education committee in parliament, Dr Clement Apark said the issue of fake certificates at public universities is becoming a big issue and needs serious attention by GTEC. “There may be more Akay’s in the system and need to be investigated by GTEC’’, Dr Apark suggested.
Chairman of the committee of PAC, James Klutse Avedzi told the university to liaise with EOCO to proceed to court. Mr Avedzi also advised to have a second look at the way and manner they grant study leave to lectures, especially those they cannot guarantee their return.
Two lecturers at Dr Hilla Limam Technical University refused to teach after they were granted study leave and a total of 280,65,000.
Mr Avedzi entreated universities to go beyond demanding guarantors’ pictures and put in place mechanisms that will ensure that lectures sponsored to further their studies come back to serve.
Chairman advised management to ensure that all lectures benefiting from universities are properly bonded or be directed to their banks because they resign after further studies.