GIMPA: Protest looms over exorbitant parking and electronic access charge
There is a looming protest at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) over an intended imposition of Ghc 1000.00 per academic year charge for car parking and access to electronic gates.
On March 14, 2022, GIMPA, through a communique signed by the Director of Estate and Municipal Service, Mr. Lawrence Avevor, put students on notice on a new car parking protocols being implemented by the school.
According to the communique, the parking space now earmarked as premium will include all parking spaces around the GIMPA Law faculty, business school and other faculties.
The only free space will be the parking space heading towards the main gate of the school. It requires that students who are unable to subscribe to the Ghc 500.00 a semester (GH1000 per academic year) for premium parking will have to park at the main gate and walk to their various faculties and classrooms.
This decision appears to have met stiff opposition from a section of the students’ body describing the decision as inconsiderate and excessive. Nonetheless, Management of the school are adamantly implementing the very unpopular decision.
Sources indicate that, students in the coming days are most likely to stage a protest.
Many students especially in the GIMPA law faculty have expressed their disappointment and opposition to the new arrangement by the School.
Read: GIMPA set to milk GHS 1,000 per student for parking and electronic access
In an iPetition by concerned students of the GIMPA Law Faculty sighted by this paper, the law students expressed the following concern;
“The imposition of a GH500 premium parking service translates into an approximate cost of GHS7.4 parking fee per school day, GH1000 parking fee per academic year or GH1,500 when three semesters are run within a year (a case in point is the 2021 Year). We find this rate as outrageous and excessive to already overburdened law students of GIMPA. The Law Faculty parking space is designed purposely for the faculty, law students and other users of the building.
“Parking, therefore must be on a first-come-first-served basis and not on a ‘premium-rate’ basis. The lack of pedestrian pathways leading to the faculty pose a high security risk to the safety of the students who would have to walk to the faculty. This risk is further heightened at night or dawn due to the poor lighting systems on the roads and in the car parks on the campus”
Petition Halt the Implementation of New Parking Protocols(2) (1) by Fuaad Dodoo on Scribd
The petition has witnessed many support from the law students of the school. The following are few comments sighted I support of the petition;
‘I believe the GH500 is unfair especially for law students. The parking at the law faculty should be first come, first serve basis. 500 semester fee for parking is too much considering the fees we are paying. During the Covid era, a petition was made for a rebate of the fees since we didn’t not make use of the classroom and other amenities. The school is yet to refund or honor this petition. Students cannot receive a double slap by paying GH500 for parking. The fees we are paying at GIMPA is not cheap for us to pay for parking. This is clear extortion and the administration must reconsider this decision’
‘I support this petition absolutely. The new proposed parking charge is outrageous. It is only fair that students be allowed to park for the few hours they’ll be campus for lectures without unnecessary financial burden’
‘How can we pay such exorbitant fees and also pay for parking it’s not as if our spots will be reserved with our names. We are already suffering in this economy. Cars that we pay fuel into to make our coming to class easier you want to strip that away from us too’
‘Charging students of the faculty to park their cars at the faculty car park is simply fraudulent after taking all these fees! Otherwise they must provide free shuttle services for those of us who will park at the main car park far away at the entrance, who cannot walk that distance due to health issues’
‘I think providing parking space for students is more of customer service than a privilege. GIMPA could do better’
Meanwhile checks have revealed that the University of Ghana does not charge students for parking but charges GH400 per year for electronic access through other gateways of the school other than the main gate situated at Opkonglo.
