Allow public universities to retain IGF — Prof. Oduro
The University of Ghana (UG) has raised concerns over the directive that universities must cede 34 per cent of their Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to the government, saying it is putting the university in dire straits.
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The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ebenezer Owusu Oduro, who expressed the university’s position on the directive, said the UG, like other public universities, depended heavily on IGF to operate as government funding was woefully inadequate.
Congregation
Prof. Oduro raised the concerns at the 2017 graduation ceremony held in Accra yesterday. Four graduation ceremonies were held concurrently for students from the Colleges of Health Sciences, Basic and Applied Sciences, Humanities and Education.
A total of 3,858 students graduated, with 1,148 at the postgraduate level, 2,449 at the Bachelor’s level and 261 at the Diploma level.
“Reconsider your decision”
Addressing the congregation, Prof. Oduro said the university received a notice from the government that public universities were now required to cede 34 per cent of their IGF to the government.
However, he said the university was currently using a huge part of its IGF to recruit critical staff since the government was not giving financial clearance for the recruitment of faculty, administrators and other staff.
“For instance, the allocation for goods and services for the tertiary education sub-sector ranges between one and three per cent of the sub-sector’s total budget, making it virtually impossible to carry out planned activities,” the vice-chancellor explained.
He further noted that the lack of financial clearance for recruitment was also having serious constraint in the employment of faculty, administrators and other staff to replace those who had retired.
“The university has not received clearance to employ new full-time staff, a large chunk of IGF, therefore, goes to paying critical staff who the university has taken on to ensure that academic work was not negatively affected. Having to relinquish 34 per cent of IGF will put the university in very dire financial straits,” he stated.
Prof. Oduro, therefore, appealed to the government to reconsider its decision and allow public universities to retain 100 per cent of their IGF.
It should also give financial clearance for the recruitment of staff and faculty members to enable the university to operate at optimal level.
Advice
The vice-chancellor also encouraged the graduates to raise the bar of excellence and make indelible marks on the world.
“Nothing can stop your aims in life when you work out of a clean heart and your determination is to achieve your goals rather than to challenge others, and great success lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative teamwork effort,” he said.
Delivering the commencement speech, a businessman, Mr Kono Botsio Aduhene, urged the graduates to see their university education as an initial capital in creating wealth.
“The knowledge you have acquired through your education is the capital you need to begin your wealth creation,” he said.
Mr Aduhene urged the graduates to take risk, persevere, have integrity and give back to society.
