The man who is credited with transforming the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) to meet international standards has hung up his brains.
Dr Bert Williams, director of IPAM, confirmed yesterday to Awoko that he had tendered his letter of resignation to the university’s vice chancellor and principal, Professor Albert Aiah Gbakima.
Dr Williams was lured by the university’s vice chancellor from the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank to take over as director at IPAM in November 2005.
He told Awoko he had sent his letter of resignation weeks and weeks ago disclaiming that he was resigning not returning to the private sector.
The former IPAM director said he accepted the job at IPAM out of goodwill to further assist in developing manpower in the country. “I agreed to serve as director at IPAM for a year and I did it for charity purpose,” he said
Asked what he intended doing after his resignation and whether he was returning to the Commercial Bank as director as being rumoured, he reacted that he was retiring as the job was stressful and wanted to relax to undertake a private business. “I do not want to go back to the private sector, neither Commercial Bank, what I want to do is relax”.
He disagreed that he was been pressured both by colleagues and students who did not want change, but stated that he did it because he wanted to relax as he put it “ the job was stressful… I do not need to do this job it’s a stressful job.”
The university’s vice chancellor was always proud of Dr Bert Williams and would commend him for his transformations at IPAM.
Dr Williams regularize the various levels of the Institute’s examinations and took a bold decision that shocked many by expelling and rusticating students involved in examinations malpractices. His stance on discipline and academic excellence was his foresight which most times drew him in collision courses with some students. He was most times quoted to have said the university was not meant for fools. He is credited with the introduction of profitable courses like MBA, MPA, CISCO, Procurement and other postgraduate studies in accounting and short term courses for career professionals. He also introduced online application (SocketWorks). One significant thing he did for students was to open up admissions at IPAM thereby making it that any applicant that meets the requirement should be admitted unlike previously when applicants undergo stressful interviews even though qualified, but were not admitted in the end. The University Registrar could not comment but only said the resignation was being studied at that level of the Vice Chancellors office. The vice chancellor could not be reached on his cell phone for an early reaction.
By Ishmael Bayoh