James Klutse Avedzi and Kofi Okyere Agyekum
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, has urged technical and traditional universities to address gaps in sponsorship agreements for lecturers on study leave.
He also urged universities across the country to fortify their guarantor system, ensuring that sponsors of lecturers are held financially accountable if these lecturers fail to fulfill their obligations upon returning from sponsorship.
He made this call during a media briefing in Ho, after the PAC’s first day of sitting, which reviewed institutions from Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions, including Technical Universities, Colleges of Education, Senior High Schools, and District and Municipal Assemblies.
Dr. Avedzi’s appeal comes after nine lecturers from Koforidua Technical University failed to return and fulfill their obligations despite being sponsored to pursue PhD programmes abroad.
This issue was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report, revealing that the university spent GH¢2,006,300 on sponsorship, with only GH¢105,000 recovered so far.
Dr. Avedzi sounded the alarm on the pervasive issue of lecturer defaults, stressing its persistent impact on universities nationwide.
He urged institutions to adopt robust measures to prevent future occurrences, citing the need for strengthened safeguards to protect investments in academic development
“Many of these lecturers, after benefiting from government sponsorship, fail to return to serve the nation.
The government spends significant resources to train them and pays their salaries during their studies with the expectation that they will return and contribute to national development.
“However, many remain in their countries of study, which is a major problem,” he lamented.
Dr Avedzi urged the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to collaborate with universities in tightening the guarantor clauses in sponsorship agreements.
He called on universities to devise effective strategies to retrieve outstanding amounts from lecturers who have breached their agreements.
This would not only safeguard public funds but also ensure that the resources invested in training personnel are used for the intended purpose of advancing education and national development.
From Daniel K. Orlando, Ho