Raphael Apetorgbor, Sworn in as GIMPA-GRASAG PRESIDENT
The Ghana Institute of Management of Public Administration (GIMPA), Chapter of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana(GRASAG), has inducted Mr. Raphael Apetorgbor, a journalist as its first President.
The executive members include, Vice President, Mr Adam Mohammed Iddrissu, General Secretary,Mr Christopher Flomo, and Women’s Commissioner, Mrs Fuseina Issah, took oaths of allegiance from GRASAG’s first Chief Justice, Mr. Osei Kwame Griffiths.
Other executives were Organizer, Alhaji Yussif Baba Suleman, Treasurer, Mrs Mariama Dauda, and the Public Relations Officer, Mr Eric Ofosu Asare.
Speaking at the induction ceremony at the GreenHill campus in Accra, Deputy Rector of GIMPA, Professor Phillip Duku Osei, tasked the student leaders to be accountable not only to the student body, but to the authorities they work with, and Ghana as a whole.
He also underscored the need for the executives to nurture the undergraduates as well as ensure that their welfare was completely taken care of; thus better customer service, adding that “this is why we have set up two offices, Office of the Dean of Students and Office of the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies”.
Prof Osei said this was planned with an objective to grow the Graduate School, as such, GRASAG- GIMPA had two key Offices to support their programmes, especially research programmes.
He said Ghana was at a point, where it needed lots of graduate products with critical thinking and were able to do problem analysis; “to resolve all the numerous problems we have in our communities and at the national level”, he added.
The Dean of Students, Prof Anthony Mawuli Sallah, urged the students leaders to work closely with university management to bring about meaningful change to students life.
He advised them to work as a team in order to achieve their vision and mission as students leaders.
The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Bertha Osei-Hwedie reminded the new executives that good leaders should be role models to their followers.
She challenged them to work hard on their academic work in order to perform well academically.
Mr. Sabra Asante, a Senior Lecturer in Leadership and Governance at GIMPA is the Patron of the new Association.
He asked that the pioneering leaders of the Association to steer it with honesty and accountability so that scandalous happenings that have cast other student associations into bad light do not rear their heads in GRASAG GIMPA.
In his acceptance speech, President of GRASAG GIMPA, Mr Apetorgbor promised that he will lead the association as a vehicle to fight for the rights and welfare of students.
He also noted that through effective education and proactive policies, GRASAG-GIMPA was determined to build a welcoming community for all postgraduate students and the entire GIMPA fraternity.
He said the efficiency of proactive leadership lied ineffective accountability.
Mr Apetorgbor recounted that in as much as they would want to be seen as visionary and proactive in their dealings in managing the affairs of GRASAG -GIMPA, they would not forget to keep accuracy in their timing and positive attitude in handling their records and activities.
“In fostering the model of School of Graduate Students, GIMPA GRASAG upon its inauguration will focus on ensuring due process, that enables students have ample opportunity to voice their grievances in a manner that is clear and fair to all”, he added.
Mr. Apetorgbor said the executives would stand up to the day to day challenge in fixing problems and issues that needed to be timely addressed, to get the desired results, while formulating future plans and event to put their agenda ahead of time.
He expressed the hope that with multitude of student concerns and obligation, he believed the drive of proactive leadership would be able to stay up to task and strive to be effective, productive, and efficient in all proceedings.
