General News of 2026-10-14
Four Professors sue to halt GIMPA rector search process amid controversy
Four professors of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt aspects of the process for selecting a search committee to oversee the appointment of a new Rector in 2027.
The legal action comes amid growing disagreements within the institution over the composition of the Convocation register and the eligibility of some lecturers to participate in elections to select representatives for the Rector Search Committee.
The four professors, Lord Mawuko Yevugah, Wisdom Akpalu, Kwami Adanu and Patrick Tandoh-Offin, filed the action on Monday, October 5, 2026, through their lawyers, Puozuing & Associates, with the court processes signed by Nurideen Seidu Pelpuo, Esq.
The action seeks to restrain the Chairman of the Institute's Governing Council, the Secretary of the Institute and the Rector of GIMPA from proceeding with aspects of the selection process for members of the search committee.
The plaintiffs argue that the Convocation register for the election contained approximately 30 newly appointed or promoted lecturers whose appointments had allegedly not been vetted or formally approved by the Governing Council or communicated to the wider GIMPA community.
They further contend that allowing these individuals to participate in the Convocation election held on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, could compromise the legality of the exercise and affect the credibility of the search committee.
According to the plaintiffs, permitting individuals whose appointments had allegedly not been approved to vote on a statutory matter could undermine the integrity of the institution's electoral register.
In their statement of claim accompanying the writ, the plaintiffs argued that the Convocation meeting should be postponed if an audit of the register could not be completed, vetted and published before the scheduled election.
"The Plaintiffs (4 professors) aver that the convocation meeting should be put on hold if an audit cannot be completed, vetted, and published ahead of the scheduled date, 6th October 2026. If the Defendants are not restrained and proceed to appoint the Search Committee, they will present a committee unfit to carry out its duty. Unless compelled by this honourable Court, the Defendant has evinced a clear intention to compromise the authenticity of the elections," the statement of claim read.
However, information available indicates that a comprehensive audit of the Convocation register was conducted by a special ad hoc committee established by the Institute's management.
The committee comprised the Secretary of the Institute and the Directors of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, Internal Audit, and Human Resource Management.
Following the exercise, the register was reportedly validated, confirmed and circulated to all members of Convocation on the eve of the election.
In communicating the outcome of the audit to the GIMPA community, the Secretary of the Institute stated:
"The audit confirmed that all persons included in the Convocation Register have valid appointments according to the records of the Human Resource Management Directorate and are eligible to participate in Convocation and vote, except persons on leave of absence or secondment who are not eligible to vote."
Despite their concerns, three of the four plaintiffs reportedly participated in the Convocation meeting and voting process.
The election was presided over by the Chairman of the Governing Council and conducted under the supervision of the Secretary of the Institute, Dr. Mrs Victoria Kunbour.
Plaintiffs Seek Nine Reliefs
The four professors are seeking nine reliefs from the court, primarily concerning the interpretation of GIMPA's Statutes and the procedures governing the appointment of a new Rector.
First, they seek a declaration that, upon a proper interpretation of Statute 12(a) of GIMPA's 2020 Statutes, the Governing Council is the only body authorised to appoint a Rector on behalf of the institution.
Second, they want the court to declare that, under Statute 12.4(a), the Chairman of the Governing Council's responsibility in appointing a Rector is limited to initiating the appointment process.
Third, they seek a declaration that Statute 12.4(b) requires the Chairman to provide guidelines governing the process for appointing a Rector.
Fourth, they want the court to affirm that, under Statute 12.4(c)(ii), three senior members must be elected by Convocation to represent the professorial class, non-professorial faculty and senior administrators.
Fifth, the plaintiffs seek a declaration that the election of the three senior-member representatives to the Search Committee must be free, fair and devoid of interference.
Sixth, they allege that the Governing Council permitted the Rector to issue appointment letters to 30 new lecturers and subsequently obtained their proxies to influence the outcome of the Convocation election.
Seventh, they argue that the independence of the elected Convocation representatives cannot be guaranteed under the circumstances.
The eighth relief seeks an order of perpetual injunction, while the ninth requests costs, including legal fees.
GIMPA Begins Search for New Rector
Under GIMPA's Statutes, the Governing Council is required to initiate the process of searching for a new Rector one year before the expiration of the incumbent's tenure.
The current Rector, Prof. Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, is expected to complete his tenure in August 2027.
Consequently, the Governing Council initiated the process of selecting his successor approximately a month ago.
Four individuals have reportedly already been selected to serve on the seven-member Rector Search Committee.
They comprise three representatives of the Governing Council and one external member, who will serve as Chairperson.
The Statutes further require Convocation, which comprises senior members of GIMPA, to elect three representatives to the committee.
These representatives must include one member each from the professorial class, non-professorial class and senior administrators of the Institute.
Prof Tandoh-Offin Loses Convocation Election
One of the plaintiffs, Prof. Patrick Tandoh-Offin, who was recently promoted to Associate Professor, contested the Convocation election to represent the professorial class on the Rector Search Committee.
However, the election results showed that Prof. Tandoh-Offin secured 35 votes, while his only contender, Prof. Emmanuel Gyamfi Numapau, obtained 118 votes.
Prof. Numapau was subsequently declared the duly elected representative of the professorial class on the Rector Search Committee.
Following the election, Prof. Tandoh-Offin reportedly accepted the results and congratulated the winners.
He also sent an email to the GIMPA community acknowledging the outcome and calling for unity as the institution prepares to appoint a new Rector.
Emergency Council Meeting Amid Growing Tensions
Meanwhile, reports indicate that an emergency meeting of the Governing Council has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, amid the ongoing legal dispute.
There are claims that the meeting could consider the implications of the lawsuit for the Convocation election results.
However, it remains unclear whether the Council intends to review, suspend or nullify the results of the election.
Some members of the GIMPA community have reportedly expressed concerns that any decision to overturn the election results could further deepen divisions within the institution.
The legal action has also generated debate over the interpretation of GIMPA's Statutes and the respective roles of the Governing Council, Convocation and management in the process of appointing a Rector.
Allegations Surrounding Institutional Audit
The controversy has also coincided with recent media publications concerning an institutional audit conducted at GIMPA.
Unverified allegations suggest that some individuals within the institution may have been involved in circulating preliminary audit findings before management's responses were incorporated into the report.
According to these claims, the publications were based on preliminary findings rather than a finalised audit report reflecting the institution's official responses.
There are also allegations of internal disagreements involving some of the professors and the current administration over previous leadership appointments and administrative decisions.
However, these allegations have not been independently substantiated, and the individuals concerned have not been shown to have responded to them.
The controversy comes at a critical time for GIMPA as the institution prepares to appoint a successor to Prof. Bonsu.
With the Rector's tenure expected to end in August 2027, attention is now focused on how the Governing Council will address the legal challenge and ensure that the selection process proceeds in accordance with the Institute's Statutes.
The outcome of the legal action could have implications for the composition of the Rector Search Committee and the broader process of selecting the institution's next leader.
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