GIMPA to extend to three cities in Ghana
The Ghana Institute of Public Administration (GIMPA) would soon establish campuses in three cities in the country to enable more people to have access to its services.
Professor Franklyn Achampong Manu, Rector of GIMPA, who announced this at the on-going Africa Public Service Day (APSD) celebration, said campuses would soon be established at Kumasi, Takoradi and Tema.
He said in future GIMPA would consider expanding to other African countries as well.
The one week programme, on the theme; “Africa Public Service in the Age of Open Government: Giving Voice to Citizens,” is being attended by Africa ministers of public service, parliamentarians, academia, civil society organisations and identified student bodies.
The APSD is celebrated by Africa Union member countries every year to recognise the institutional contributions made by public servants to enhance the role, professionalism, image and visibility of public service, and to recognise the value and virtue of public service to the community.
Prof. Manu said though GIMPA had diverted into other disciplines, it still remained the largest trainer of public and civil servants on the continent.
He said the public perception that the Institute had lost its mission was uncalled for because adding other disciplines such as business to its core functions was to serve the need and demand of the public.
“We have not lost our mission, we are still on track and GIMPA still has one of the best Law Schools on the continent,” he said.
Prof. Manu said Africa was still suffering from mental slavery where its people found it difficult to adjust to new changes.
That, he said, was one of the major challenges facing the continent and urged governments to enforce the necessary codes of conducts to build a strong and viable Public Service.
“We need efficient Public Service to accelerate growth and development,” he said.
Dr Shaibu Ahmed Gariba, Director General of Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), said the Institute would improve its reporting and accountability to all interested stakeholders by developing an organizational communication strategy next year.
He said that was necessary for the enhancement of the visibility of the Institute in an increasing competitive environment.
Dr Gariba noted that there was the need to reassess the role its training and consultancy services should play in the capacity building and consultancy support for the public service and how that should be provided.
He said to strengthen the organizational structure of the Institute, there was the need to reorganise the Divisions to carry out their functions efficiently and effectively through staff hiring, revision and development of new programmes among other things.
He announced that by the end of the year MDPI would establish a strategy to engage the private sector in the delivery of its services to the public service while it maintained a clear distinction between the public and private interest.
“We would continue to work to ensure that there is further strengthening of the alignment of the Institute’s activities to government priorities, legislation, rules and policies such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Act and the Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715),” he said.
Source: GNA