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The University of Media Arts and Communication, Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), has been petitioned over an investigative piece that uncovered multiple breaches and abuse of the Student Endowment Fund.
The petition, among other things, demands a third-party audit of the dedicated bank account reportedly created for the Fund and stricter oversight mechanisms to prevent future misuse.
The petition, sent by the lead investigator and journalist Benjamin Tenkorang, also asks the university to conduct a comprehensive review of the fund’s administration, from the application process to disbursement and repayment, to ensure the endowment fund’s objective is achieved. Dean of Students, Mrs. Rhodalene Amartey, who received the petition on behalf of the University, said: “Petition well received. Will work on [the] petition when school resumes. Thank you.”
Background
Several months of investigation have uncovered a culture of misapplication and abuse of the Student Endowment Fund by past and present student leaders.
The fund, which was supposed to provide financial support for needy students, has become fodder for corruption, conflict of interest, abuse, and misapplication.
The details of the rot uncovered in the administration of the fund have been documented in an investigative report, “Cost of Deferred Dreams: How Baby Politicians Misapplied GH 30,000 UNIMAC-IJ SRC Student Endowment Fund,
“Sitting outside the gates of the University of Media, Arts, and Communication, Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), Fremah (not her real name) was absent-minded. The thought of being denied a small portion of the SRC Endowment Fund, the financial support for the school fees she desperately sought but never received, was a blow too big to bear. Her dreams of becoming her family’s first graduate and PR practitioner slipped further away.
“Three months after her final plea, she received a call. An SRC representative asked if she managed to write her exams. Her voice trembled as she replied, “No, I couldn’t,” only to hear the line go dead with a curt, “Okay, bye,” she narrated her story to me, with eyes drenched in tears.
“They never informed me of their decision. I applied, I followed up, and I was ignored. I trusted them to help, but that trust was misplaced,” she added.
Fremah’s trust in the SRC was shattered, as were her dreams. Yet, while she shed tears over her deferred dream, others who hadn’t even applied or who applied but didn’t quite meet the fund’s criteria were granted support with alacrity,” Benjamin Tenkorang wrote in the opening of his investigative report.
The findings have triggered anger amongst students and the education fraternity, with some of them sharing their experiences.
Some are demanding a quick intervention by the university administration to end the continuous abuse and misapplication of the funds.
Having petitioned the university, it is hoped that the administration will look into the findings and ensure that the demand for transparency and accountability in the administration of the Student Endowment Fund is met.
