More than 60 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) have petitioned the school’s Governing Council to address persistent delays in their graduation, which they say have left them frustrated and uncertain about their academic futures.
The affected students, pursuing Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Public Administration, Leadership and Governance under the School of Public Service and Governance (SPSG), formally submitted their petition through their solicitors, NISSI Consult, Asamoah and Associates, on July 18, 2025.
According to the petition, despite having completed their comprehensive examinations and submitted theses for review, the candidates have not been allowed to graduate.
The letter noted that over the past six years, fewer than eight PhD students have successfully graduated from the programme, even though more than 60 have met the academic requirements.
“For the past three years, every key academic activity on the PhD programme, particularly the presentation of research proposals and theses, has been halted due to bottlenecks created by a disruptive Ad hoc Committee,” the petition stated.
The students accused the Ad hoc Committee, which was set up by the school to review theses, of overstepping its mandate and assuming supervisory powers that conflict with the roles of assigned supervisors.
They described the committee as “unlawful,” noting that it is not part of the school’s official handbook or academic framework.
They cited cases where, after months of working with their supervisors to finalise their theses, the Ad hoc Committee provided separate and often conflicting feedback, a practice the candidates described as “unprofessional and inconsistent with accepted academic standards.”
The petition further criticised the recent introduction of a “Pre-Viva” session, an additional internal review process before theses are sent to external examiners, which they claim has unnecessarily prolonged the graduation process.
The candidates urged the Governing Council to intervene by dissolving the Ad hoc Committee and directing immediate steps to facilitate the graduation of at least 30 students who have completed their theses by the end of 2025.
They also warned that if their grievances are not resolved promptly, they would petition the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the Ministry of Education, and the Office of the President, and may resort to a press conference to draw public attention to their plight.
Responding to the concerns, GIMPA’s Deputy Rector, Prof. Ebenezer Adaku, acknowledged the challenges but explained that only the school’s Academic Board has the authority to dissolve the Ad hoc Committee.
He assured the students that management is committed to resolving the issues and has directed that all completed proposals and theses be submitted through supervisors to the committee for prompt review.
Prof. Adaku emphasised the school’s commitment to improving the efficiency of the review process to ensure that students who have completed their work can graduate without undue delay.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah