The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is at the verge of collapsing due to the deliberate orchestration by the ruling National Democratic Congress government to appoint party faithful to high offices irrespective of their qualifications and job experience.
Information gathered by this newspaper indicates that if care is not taken the government’s thirst to create “Job for the boys” will gradually ruin the fortunes of the school to the point of no return.
Tongues are wagging with regard to why the just ended lofty contract of M. J. K. Batse with the school will be extended for another 2 years when he failed to secure a master’s programme for the school in the past 2 years.
Mr. J. K. Batse was given a 2 year mandate to secure a Master’s Degree Programme for the school, which elapsed on the 18th of June, 2013 but he was unable to achieve this task.
In his 2 year term in office, Mr. Batse who was paid a whopping GH₵6,200 as monthly salary with an official vehicle; managed to present only two proposals to the National Accreditation Board for consideration for a master degree programme, but had all rejected on the basis of poor presentation. His monthly salary however exceeds that of the rector of the school.
According to sources, some individuals within the NDC under bizarre circumstances manipulated events for Mr. Batse’s contract to be extended because of his affiliation with the NDC.
Pundits fear that this development means GIJ will continue to linger in darkness with no clear cut policy direction. Batse who retired 2 years ago has been given another juicy contract after a council meeting at the school which lacked deliberation and was sort of a rubber stamp of his appointment.
Meanwhile, the haste to renew Batse’s contract is seen as illegal especially when government has not issue for the contract to be extended.
The fate of the over 50 year old school is at stake.
Big time consultants with experience in the school who could have secured the master’s programme for the school have been bypassed simply because they are perceived to be NPP sympathizers. “NDC is putting its deep fingers in matters of GIJ to the extent that the policies governing the school have been thrown to the dogs as ad-hoc decisions are the order of the day. My brother there is the need to save the school from total collapse. This is not the GIJ we knew,” a source who described himself as a past student of GIJ noted.
He added that “it is not surprising that schools like Jayee, AUCC, UPS among others are gradually overtaking GIJ because of the fact that competent and visionary experts are put at the helm of affairs in those institutions,” they said.
“The institution is not growing because of the activities of some unscrupulous people,” another old student told this newspaper describing what is happening as the saddest moment in the history of GIJ.
As it stands now, this paper gathers that staffs are demoralized with regards to how politics is gradually rearing its ugly head in the affairs of the school. This is because those perceived to be affiliated with the NDC are enjoying and those perceived to be NPP are neglected. GIJ is virtually on its knees and its better government realized this and takes a firm decision in order to salvage the school from total collapse.
Again, this paper has further gathered that the former chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Kofi Awoonor who has nothing to do with the management of GIJ has been storming the school unannounced with ulterior motive to have his ‘darling boy’, Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah who is currently the deputy rector assume the position of rector of GIJ. He is alleged to have sworn tooth and nail that he will do everything possible to ensure that his intentions materialize.
His declaration comes on the heels that he succeeded in bringing Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah from nowhere to become the assistant rector of GIJ.
Dr. Dzisah is well noted to be a staunch member of the National Democratic Congress and by virtue of that Prof. Awoonor is bent on making him the rector irrespective of the fact that he lacks experience.
Currently all the members who constitute the Board of the institution are NDC fanatics who are gradually bringing the development of the school to standstill.