THE Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to strengthen its role in developing ethical leaders and improving public sector efficiency through digital transformation.
He said the institution must go beyond training people to occupy leadership positions and equip them with the skills to address governance challenges, improve public services and promote national development.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said this at the climax of GIMPA’s 65th anniversary celebration in Accra, on the theme, “A Legacy of Excellence, a Future in Digital Transformation.”
He said although GIMPA had made significant contributions to Ghana’s development over the past 65 years, it must continually adapt to changing needs and emerging technologies to remain relevant.
The Asantehene said digital transformation should not be limited to acquiring computers and setting up websites but must lead to improved service delivery, accountability and efficient decision-making.
He noted that technology alone could not solve institutional problems if outdated procedures and inefficient systems remained unchanged.
“If a complicated procedure is transferred from paper to a computer, we may have only created a modern way of preserving an old problem,” he said.
Otumfuo said GIMPA should help Ghana develop a public service where citizens could access essential services without unnecessary travel, repeated applications and avoidable delays.
He also urged the institute to make responsible artificial intelligence and digital governance central to its teaching and research.
He said emerging technologies offered opportunities in education, healthcare, agriculture and public administration but also raised concerns about privacy, fairness, accountability and human dignity.
The Asantehene stressed the need to ensure that digital transformation did not widen the gap between urban and rural communities.
He said people without smartphones or internet access should not be denied essential public services, adding that digital development must be supported by investment in infrastructure, education and accessible services.
The Asantehene said the true measure of an educational institution was not the number of certificates it awarded but the positive impact its graduates made on society.
The Rector of GIMPA, Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, said the institute was planning to establish a digital governance and public sector innovation hub under the proposed Ghana-China Centre for West African Studies.
He said the centre would serve as a hub for research, capacity building and practical solutions to support Africa’s digital transformation.
Professor Bonsu said the digital hub would focus on e-government, artificial intelligence applications and data systems to improve public sector performance.
He said GIMPA had also recovered from financial difficulties experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and moved from a deficit position in the 2020–2021 period to a positive financial position.
He said the institute had introduced a paperless system to improve administrative efficiency and was investing in staff development and institutional sustainability.
Professor Bonsu, however, expressed concern about the politicisation of universities, warning that GIMPA risked losing its independence if it became aligned with political interests.
The Chairman of the GIMPA Governing Council, Professor Yaw Agyeman Badu, said the institute had evolved over the past 65 years into a centre of excellence in leadership, management, governance and higher education.
He said GIMPA had contributed to national development by training leaders who continued to serve in government, Parliament, the judiciary, academia and the private sector.
He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to strengthening institutional governance and positioning GIMPA for greater national and international impact.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
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