Accra: Reverend Dr Cyril Fayose, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has firmly rejected allegations that he caused financial losses to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), during his tenure as President of the EPCG University.
According to Ghana News Agency, Reverend Dr Fayose is being accused by detractors of burdening the EPCG with debt through a loan taken by the University. It is alleged that this loan was improperly used to increase management and staff salaries, which purportedly disqualified him from holding any office within the Church. Dr Fayose, who also serves as the Director of the National Counselling Centre, Adenta, claims these accusations have surfaced due to his intention to run for the position of Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church in the upcoming General Assembly in Ho this August.
In a statement released in Ho and shared with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Fayose expressed frustration over the allegations, stating that he has not been given a fair chance to present his side of the story. He emphasized that a comprehensive evaluation should consider the institutional challenges he faced, the regulatory framework he operated within, and the governance systems that endorsed and monitored his decisions.
Dr Fayose recounted that he assumed the role of the University's second President in October 2011, following Mr Walter Blege, the founding President. Upon taking office, the University was already managing a loan from GCB Bank for campus renovations. In 2012, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) issued a formal warning regarding the University's insufficient infrastructure, threatening to revoke its accreditation if improvements were not made.
He explained that the University, with support from the Church's leadership under Rt Rev Francis Amenu, acted swiftly to meet these regulatory demands, allocating land for new infrastructure projects to address the severe deficits he inherited. The decision to secure a GHc2 million loan for a modern lecture hall complex was a strategic move to resolve the immediate crisis and adhere to accreditation requirements, rather than a pursuit of personal recognition.
Dr Fayose clarified that the contractor, Defiat Company, was compensated for work completed, and that the Church only took over the final stages of the project. He also refuted claims that the entire project was pre-financed by the company. At the time of securing the loan, the University had the financial means to manage the facility, as student enrollment was strong, cash flow projections were favorable, and the Church had guaranteed the loan.
He stressed that none of the borrowed funds were used for staff salaries or operational expenses; every cedi was invested in capital infrastructure for the University and Church. However, unforeseen developments such as the conversion of Ho Polytechnic to a Technical University and the establishment of distance learning centers by public universities in Ho led to a sharp decline in enrollment and revenue, affecting the University's ability to service the loan as planned.
Dr Fayose highlighted that the decision to acquire the loan was approved by the University Council and supported by Church guarantees, underscoring that attributing sole responsibility to him ignores the collective decision-making processes typical of tertiary institutions. He affirmed that his appointment as President was a testament to the Church's trust in his integrity and leadership.
Throughout his tenure, Dr Fayose asserted that there has been no evidence of personal benefit, dishonesty, or reckless financial management on his part. He firmly rejects the allegations, calling for a fair and objective evaluation of the circumstances surrounding the decisions made during his leadership.