Portal to Nowhere (Part 3): Institutional data of SRC activities cannot be found - UniMAC-IJ
Despite nearly a decade of SRC digital projects and repeated allocations of student funds, University of Media, Arts and Communication - Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ) management says that no records exist for handovers, project completions, or procurements between 2018 and 2025.
On March 3, 2026, Unheard submitted a Right to Information requesting for official documents covering handover notes, project reports, and procurement details for the administration in question.
However, on March 27, 2026, the management responded saying that the requested information did not exist.
“Following consultations with the designated officers responsible for the requested information, the information sought is non-existent in accordance with Section 24 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989)”, Management of UniMAC-IJ said in response.
The institution further noted that it does not maintain records relating to the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) in the manner requested, referring to documents such as handover notes, project reports, and procurement records spanning multiple administrations.
The RTI had sought official documents covering these records across eight consecutive SRC administrations. Yet, despite repeated investments in digital platforms, totalling GHS17,900 of students’ money, there is no institutional memory to show how these projects were executed, handed over, or managed.
Unsatisfied with the response, Unheard filed an internal appeal on 9th April, 2026 to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, who subsequently referred the matter to the Office of the Dean of Students.
In its response, the office upheld the initial position, confirming that no such records exist.
“Upon my checks with the current SRC, unfortunately, there are no stored handover notes from the previous SRC administration,” the response stated, adding that “poor record keeping from previous administrations has accounted for this.”
Ama has since left the university, but the system she navigated remains largely unchanged, raising questions about how many more students will have to find their own way through it.