The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) have reached an agreement for the incorporation of the University’s public sector accountability modules into the latter’s training programmes.
Under the agreement which was signed on the campus of the UPSA, the University’s Centre of Excellence for Public Accountability will provide resource persons for the teaching of three modules namely: the Concept of Public Accountability, Public Financial Management System of Ghana, and Financial Laws of Ghana. It has also been agreed between the parties that these courses will be taught by facilitators from the UPSA free of charge as part of the University’s social responsibility programme.
In a remark at the signing ceremony, Vice-Chancellor of the UPSA, Professor Joshua Alabi said: “…this is an opportunity for us to showcase what we have to the country and the rest of the world. We have identified something very important for this country and we realise that the best way to make impact is to make it our corporate social responsibility, especially to your outfit.”
The Vice-Chancellor further mentioned that the good thing about UPSA is that its programmes are specifically designed to meet the needs of society. “We are the only institution in Ghana offering Masters Degrees in Auditing, Oil and Gas and Total Quality Management, etc., We also try to make the courses we teach very practical. So when the Hon. Dr. Albert Kan Dapaah brought up this idea of creating awareness around public accountability, we considered it to be very good and developed it, until we established the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA),” he said.
On his part, the Commandant of the KAIPTC Major General Obed Boamah Akwa said: “Our institution has grown far above the level of just training our troops and now runs post graduate courses focusing on three thematic areas, namely: Conflict Management, Peace Support Operation and Peace and Security Studies.”
He indicated that the KAIPTC is funded through government support as well as donor support from the Denmark, Norway and Sweden. He added that other countries such as German, France, United States of America,United Kingdom also provide earmark funding for specific courses.
He noted: “We wish to express our gratitude to UPSA for running the Public Accountability Programme run free of charge as part of its corporate social responsibility. We also want to assure you that far as KAIPTC is concerned, we would adhere strictly to get our side of the MoU that we are going to sign today.”
KAIPTC was established in 1998 with the aim of harnessing the massive experience and skills of the Ghana Armed Forces in peacekeeping in various countries in Africa, including the Congo, Western Sahara, Somalia and other countries like Cambodia, Yugoslavia, etc for the development of capacity on the continent.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Registrar of the UPSA, Dr. Mohammed Mustapha Seidu; Consulting Director for the Centre for Public Accountability, Hon. Dr. Albert Kan Dapaah; and the University’s Director of Finance, Rev. Joseph K. Antwi, and Mrs. Vera Akumiah, Deputy Director of Public Affairs
Credit: UPSA Public Affairs Directorate