PAC recommends fining guarantors for lecturers who refuse to return from abroad after studying on scholarship

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), James Klutse Avedzi has called on government to institute measures to prevent lecturers who benefit from government scholarship to study abroad not to escape from paying back monies spent on them during their study leave.

Mr. Avedzi noted that it has assumed a normal practice of beneficiaries of government scholarship to study abroad and not to payback what has been spent on them as most lecturers on study leave abroad either refused to return to Ghana upon completion of their courses of study or they returned but failed to payback to government.

Chairman of the Committee who expressed his dissatisfaction about the trend of events at the Public Accounts Committee sitting in Ho said it’s unfortunate for such high caliber of professionals who took advantage of the opportunity to upgrade themselves refused to acknowledge government’s efforts in offering them funds to improve on their academic exploits.

Mr. Avedzi stressed that most of these lecturers who default in paying back are in the Technical Universities under the umbrella of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and it therefore is imperative for the umbrella body to ensure that all monies owed government under its scholarships are retrieved.

He impressed upon GTEC to come-up with a holistic document that would be binding on all beneficiaries of government scholarships to payback monies spent on them whilst on study leave abroad.

Mr. Avedzi observed the unfortunate development where these lecturers failed to serve their mandatory terms after studies and noted that such conduct should be resisted by authorities to serve as a warning to prospective beneficiaries of government scholarships.

The PAC Chairman blamed the failure to return to Ghana by these fortunate lecturers on study leave abroad on lack of commitment by their guarantors, many of whom are also colleague lecturers to ensure that they payback monies spent on them.

He urged authorities of Technical Universities to put in place effective measures to compel their guarantors to have no option than to payback monies spent on them.

Some Members of the Public Accounts Committee at the sitting identified that lecturers after having resigned from a particular university and gained employment at another university receive salaries from both institutions.

According to them, such an act is criminal and recommended that culprits be made to payback such money and also face the full rigors of the laws.

Members of the Committee during the sitting also realized that a retired Vice Chancellor of Accra Technical University, Prof. Samuel Nii Odai went home with two vehicles of the University. Upon hearing that the University would be appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament he quickly returned the vehicles just last week.

According to the Committee, they would ensure that all monies owed to government during the sitting would be retrieved without fear or favour for other citizens to benefit from government scholarships when the opportunity avails itself.

The Committee cautioned workers, particularly those in Management positions who vacate post or on retirement to be wary of receiving salaries for no work done saying they risk being prosecuted when caught.

Management of Technical Universities, Colleges of Education, Senior High Schools and District Assemblies from Greater Accra, Eastern Oti and Volta regions appeared before the Committee. The Committee’s five day sitting continue till Friday.

 

Story by Robert Abilba

 

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