The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Wiawso College of Education to adopt innovative strategies to recover GH¢380,315.23 in outstanding student arrears, most of which is owed by alumni.
The directive follows findings in the Auditor-General’s report, which revealed that 1,016 students owe the college a total of GH¢587,397.13 in unpaid fees. The report further indicated that 510 graduates alone account for GH¢488,085.85 of the debt.
Appearing before the Committee during its sitting in Kumasi, management of the college disclosed that it has so far recovered GH¢207,081.90, a figure that represents less than half of the total arrears.
According to the institution, a significant portion of the debts stems from the Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) programme, under which some beneficiaries have completed their studies but failed to settle their fees or return for their certificates.
The college indicated that it has been relying on certificate collection to encourage payment, though it admitted that the approach has not yielded the desired results.
However, the Committee expressed concern over the recovery strategy, insisting that the institution must take more proactive steps to retrieve the funds.
“I think that sitting down to wait for people to come for their certificates before you recover the money is not good enough. You have been instructed to recover the monies. You need to come up with innovative ways of recovery.
“These are teachers who are in the system and are being paid, so there are ways of tracking the monies,” member of the Committee and Atwima Nwabiagya South MP, Shirley Kyei, emphasised.
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