PAC revelations must be a lesson - Prof. Dolphyne

Story: Kate Baaba Hudson


A former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Florence A. Dolphyne, has said that the recent revelations of mismanagement, incompetence, dishonesty and lack of commitment in the country’s public service that have surfaced before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are worrying, considering that people got away with it in the past.
Addressing a congregation at the University of Ghana, Legon, at the week-end, she said what had now become public knowledge should teach the young people that even if others got away with it in the past, they might not be so lucky.
She said, whatever they did at their work places would one day catch up with them and become a source of embarrassment, not only to themselves, but to their parents and other members of their families who today are so proud of them.
“I hope you will take a lesson from what had happened and conduct yourselves in whatever career you take up in future, in a way that will bring honour and progress to your country, as well as make your parents, your friends and relations even more proud of you than they are today”, she stated.
Prof. Dolphyne called on the young science graduates to seriously consider embarking on post-graduate studies and return to the departments that trained them to help train more science graduates who will help them to fast-track their nation’s development, especially in this age of science and technology.
She told the young ladies who graduated in science in particular that more of them were needed on the faculty to motivate and become role-models for the many budding female scientists who needed to be encouraged to achieve their maximum potential.
The Chairman of the University Council, Mr Anthony Oteng-Gyasi, observed that as student numbers rose and the university grew bigger, there was the need to periodically make well-thought out adjustments so as to avoid sinking under the increasing weight and inertia that the growth inevitably brought in its wake.
He said it was for that reason that several months ago, the university, with financial support from government, constituted a Visitation Panel to critically examine its circumstances and make recommendations for the necessary changes to be made.
Mr Oteng-Gyasi was happy to announce that the panel had submitted an interim report and the final report will follow soon.
Prof. Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, announced that with this year’s registration of 4,745 fresh undergraduate and 792 postgraduate students, the university now had a total enrolment of 26,952.
He said in keeping with its vision of promoting a multi-cultural learning experience for the students, the university, this year admitted 521 foreign students, comprising 244 enrolled in regular programmes and 277 who were enrolled on exchange programmes from their partner institutions in Europe, the United States of America, Canada and Asia.
The Vice Chancellor said 3,995 students enrolled to pursue various programmes at the Accra City Campus.