Professor Martin Morgan Tuuli, the Deputy Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has lauded the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana (GRASAG), GIMPA, branch for its exceptional leadership.

He praised the immediate past GRASAG-GIMPA Administration led by Iddi Yire and the Membership of the Association for the peace that the Institute had when it came to students' leadership or dealing with students at the Institute.

Prof Tuuli, who gave the commendation in his keynote address at the Handing Over and Awards Dinner of the GRASAG-GIMPA, commended the outgone leadership of the Association for the manner in which they conducted themselves during their tenure.

He said it was the hope of the Institute's Management that the new leadership of GRASAG-GIMPA would continue to work with them as they advance the interest of students.

"I also want to particularly thank the GRASAG-GIMPA Executives for the examples that they set in terms of students' leadership and how the Students' Association is actually run and work together with Management to achieve the interest of students," the Deputy Rector stated.

The event on the theme "Raising Leaders to Deal with Problems Confronting National Development: The Role of Tertiary Educational Institutions", was attended by some Management, Faculty, Staff and Students of the Institute, as well as sister branches of GRASAG from other Universities.

Prof Tuuli said tertiary educational institutions were the place where future leaders were bred and mentored to take over the affairs of the nation and to steer the nation towards their collective interest and goals.

He said GIMPA takes the responsibility of being able to train and raise the leaders of tomorrow very seriously; which was reflecting in the kind of programmes that they deployed and the methodologies they used in their classrooms to ensure that their students had a critical mind in responding to contemporary issues in the various fields that they were being trained in.

The Deputy Rector said anywhere that GIMPA graduates showed up, they were able to shine; stating that for that reason, GIMPA was very proud of raising the kind of leaders that could actually tackle problems and engage in national development.

Prof Wisdom Akpalu, Patron of GRASAG-GIMPA/Dean of the School of Research and Graduate Studies (SRGS), GIMPA, commended the GRASAG-GIMPA leadership for being men and women of integrity.

"So, I will like to use this opportunity to say a big thank you to the Executives, they have led an exemplary life; a life that is worthy of emulation, they've been very transparent, very honest, respectful and very dedicated to duty."

Dr Augustina Akonnor, the Dean of Students, GIMPA, said under the Institute's 2020 status, the Students' Representative Council (SRC) was now going to be made up of GRASAG and Undergraduate Students' Association; stating that Management was working out modalities for its operationalization.

Prof Anthony Sallar, a former Dean of Students, GIMPA, who chaired the Function, extolled GRASAG-GIMPA for launching the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund.

Mr Iddi Yire, immediate past President, GRASAG-GIMPA, in his farewell address, expressed gratitude to the Almighty God, the Management, Faculty, Staff and Students of the Institute for giving him the opportunity to serve as the President of GRASAG-GIMPA.

He said some major achievements within his tenure of office were instituting the GRASAG-GIMPA Virtual Seminar Series to equip members with knowledge on research and the corporate world.

Others were negotiating with Management for extension of school fees payment and registration periods, clocks being supplied to all classrooms and lecture halls, and the setting up of the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund.

He noted that his administration embraced good governance and transparency in handling the coffers of the Association.

Alhaji Yussif Baba Suleman, the new President of GRASAG-GIMPA, in his inaugural address, said his administration would continue the good works of his predecessor.

Mr Raphael Apetorgbor, a former President of GRASAG-GIMPA, who launched the Association's Graduate Studies Endowment Fund, said it was meant to support needy graduate students of the Institute.