Gunman fires at sleeping chief
Porter facing stealing charge
Eleven School heads face sanction
Heads of 11 first-class secondary schools in
the country have been sanctioned for charging unauthorized fees.
They are Mrs Nancy Thompson, Wesley Girls High
School; Mrs Alice Marie Agyemang, Holy Child Secondary School; Mr Albert K.
Adienu, Ghana National college: Mr Jerry Ben Koomson, St Augustine's College;
Mr C.K. Ashun, Mfantsipim School; Mr Kwesi Appiah-Danquah, Aggrey Memorial
Secondary School, and Mr Asiedu Gyimah, Adisadel College.
The rest are Mrs Charlotte Brew-Graves,
Achimota School; Mr C. Aggrey Mensah, Labone Secondary School; Reverend Father
Samuel Batsa, St Thomas Aquinas Second School, all in Accra, and Mr Paul Ofori
Attah, Pope John's Secondary School, Koforidua.
The heads are to lose a month's salary for
violating the directive from the Ghana Education Service (GES) not to charge
unauthorized fees at the beginning of the 2001/2002 academic year.
They have also been warned that further
violation of any of the directives from the GES on school fees shall result in
demotion.
The GES, in September this year, directed that
items such as mosquito nets, mattresses, pillows, cutlery, cooking and other
necessary items must be listed in the prospectus for parents to buy instead of
billing them to pay as part of the school fees.
According to the directive, all other fees
approved by the GES Council will be borne by the government on behalf of
parents.
It added that parents were to be billed with
only six items namely, admission fees for new students, Student Representative
Council (SRC) dues, entertainment, Science Resource Centre fees, library,
examination/stationary fees, at rates approved by the council.
Elaborating the sanctions imposed on the heads
in an interview, the acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service
(GES), Mr John Budu-Smith, said the affected heads were made to face a GES
Disciplinary Committee and interviewed one after the other. He said it was
after the interviews that the committee came up with the sanctions.
Mr Budu-Smith recalled that at the beginning of
this academic year, the GES received reports that some heads of second cycle
institutions were charging exorbitant fees.
The acting Director-General said heads of
schools who were alleged to have done so appeared before the Disciplinary
Committee of the GES.
He said the committee concluded that the heads
had committed acts of insubordination and must be punished appropriately.
A highly-placed source at the Ministry of
Education said a survey conducted in November into allegations of unauthorized
charging of fees by certain heads of institutions, indicated that contrary to
instructions regarding the admission of new students to senior secondary
schools, some headmasters and headmistresses charged over ˘1 million.
The source deplored the action of the affected
heads of institutions and said this had led to a situation where many students
who scored good grades but whose parents could not afford exorbitant fees could
not gain admission to the schools of their choice.
It pointed out that the fact that some of the
heads based their admissions strictly on GES directives and charged approved
rates clearly exposed their colleagues. "There is no justification,
whatsoever for a handful of schools in the country to hold parents and
guardians to ransom as if they were not answerable to any authority," the
source stressed.
It mentioned specifically the imposition of
certain levies which swell up the bills and made it clear that the practice,
which has been going on for too long, cannot be allowed to be perpetuated to
ruin the future of clever students with poor backgrounds.
The source emphasised that the ministry will
not sit down unconcerned for education to be commercialized at the whims and
caprices of some headmasters and headmistresses as if there was no law and
order in the country.
In another development, Mr Budu-Smith said
guidelines on PTA dues, computer centre user fees and development levies have
been submitted to regional directors of education.
He asked heads of institutions to meet with
their regional directors for approval before specified charges are levied.
GRi…/
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Otumfuo to set up committee on stool disputes
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has
announced plans to set up a Special Committee to investigate and determine all
land disputes in Asante. The committee would be of great assistance to the
process of flushing out chiefs who deal in illegitimate sale of stool lands.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this at an end-of-year
meeting of the Asanteman Council at Kumasi last Thursday. He warned that any
chief found to have sold land illegally would be made to refund the proceeds
and where possible, suffer destoolment. "Any chief caught engaging himself
in any form of nefarious activity would be dealt with" the Asantehene
warned.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said that the time had come
for traditional rulers and leaders to initiate and develop policies that would
lead to the positive transformation of their people. He said that chieftaincy
in modern times should go beyond the palace and should be development-oriented.
The Asantehene advised traditional rulers to
have the welfare of their people at heart and endeavour to pursue their vision
with a sense of direction. He stressed the need for chiefs to establish health
schemes in their various areas to help support government's efforts at meeting
the health need of the people.
"Health problems cannot be addressed by
the government alone and it is our duty as leaders to assist," he stated.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu explained that he Health Fund he mooted would be developed in
a manner that would embrace all and sundry, just like his Education Fund.
He reprimanded chiefs who had failed to consult
or contact the Education Fund Secretariat for assistance to be given to needy
students in their areas. "A good number of children in various
paramountcies and other areas may need help but their leaders have not shown
any signs of helping them".
The Asantehene called for unity, peace, love
and harmony among chiefs to ensure the rapid development of Asante and the
country as a whole.
GRi…/
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Chief beaten by former girl friend
No one can guess the extent to which a jilted
woman can go. It can be anything ranging from fighting or setting property
ablaze to suicide.
For 45-year-old Vida Benneh, who felt cheated
after an 11-year amorous relationship with a sub-chief of Nsoatre, near
Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region, it was something quite different.
Vida was not satisfied with a compensation of
˘500,000 from Nana Baffour Gyamfi and resorted to publicly humiliating the
sub-chief.
Vida claimed she split up with her husband to
get engaged to Nana Gyamfi who jilted him, leaving her in limbo. Bubbling with
satanic fury, Vida, on December 10, allegedly attacked the chief and subjected
him to severe beatings in public.
The chief who could not bear the humiliation
reported the case to the police who arrested Vida. She was arraigned before a
community tribunal in Sunyani on December 11, charged with assault. She pleaded
not guilty and the tribunal chaired by Mr Charles Adjei-Wilson remanded her in
prison custody.
Presenting the facts of the case Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Yartey Tawiah said the love affair between
the two parties started 11-years ago. In September this year, he said, the
Chief decided to end the affair because she was fond of causing embarrassment
in public. As such the chief offered her ˘500,000 as compensation.
Afterwards, anytime she met the chief, there
was trouble. The prosecution said on that fateful day at about 1.30 pm, the
accused forcibly entered the car of the chief which was Sunyani-bound. The
chief was said to have stopped on the way to buy fuel at a petrol dump.
Suddenly, the accused allegedly sprung from the car, pounced on the chief and
slapped him.
GRi…/
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Gunman fires at sleeping chief
The Krontihene of Nsoatre, Nana Ampaabeng
Kyeremeh narrowly escaped death when an unidentified gunman fired two shots
through the window of his room while he was asleep in the early hours of
Friday.
The bullets mysteriously flew over the bed on
which the chief was sleeping before hitting a fridge. The reason for the attack
was not known but residents linked it to the chieftaincy dispute in the town,
which has already claimed three lives.
Sources in the town claimed the gunshot damaged
the fridge. The unknown attacker fled just after firing the gunshots,
apparently thinking that he had killed the Krontihene. The Krontihene has made
a formal report to the police.
A source at the Sunyani District Police Station
confirmed the incident and said investigations are still underway to track down
the attacker.
Nsoatre has known no peace since all but two of
the kingmakers in March this year, accepted the queenmother's nomination of
Prof. Kwabena Oppong-Boachie, Head of the Centre for Scientific Research into
Plant Medicine at Mampong Akuapem as the successor of the late Omanhene,
Obrempong Hinneh Akwasi II.
Following the acceptance of the nomination, the
kingmakers led by the Krontihene installed Prof. Oppong-Boachie who comes from
the Abuom royal family as Omanhene under the stool name Nana Boachie Amoah
Konomansa II.
But, a planned out-dooring of the chief turned
bloody as three people were killed in a clash between supporters of the chief
and his opponents. Later, the Twabiri royal family also installed a rival
Omanhene, plunging the town into further trouble.
More…/
Teachers
who are to serve as role models to the children sometimes come to school drunk,
while others come very late. Instead of going to the classroom to teach, these
teachers sit under trees chatting with friends.
A visit by The Mirror to some towns and
villages in the district confirmed that the falling standard of education can
be blamed on the teachers who show little concern for the future of these
children.
In an interview, the District Chief Executive,
Mr D.K. Eworyi, said the performance of JSS students at the BECE is becoming
appalling due to the lackadaisical attitude of the teachers.
Mr Eworyi said a visit to the schools shows the
children talking and playing, while their teachers gather elsewhere conversing.
Besides, most of the teachers go to school very late, making it difficult for
them to complete the day’s schedule.
He mentioned lack of supervision as another
reason for the fall in the standard of education in the area. According to him,
these days most teachers hardly prepare lesson notes and their heads also do
not make the effort to monitor their activities thereby allowing them to do
whatever pleases them.
At Sokpoe, the assemblyman, Mr Mac-Divine
Asafo, confirmed that teachers at the Ghana Presby Primary School are not
helping the children to come out with their best. He cited instances when the
children had to be sent home by their teachers for not paying their extra
classes fees.
“These extra classes are forcing a lot of
children to stay at home because their parents could not afford the amount of
˘35,000, which is beyond their means.”
When The Mirror visited Toklokpo Primary
School, the headmaster, Rev Godfred Tamakloe, was busy teaching class one
himself. In an explanation, he said the class teacher has been absenting
herself frequently and to make things worse, she always come to school drunk, making
it difficult for her teach effectively.
The District Director of Education, Mrs Cecilia
Ruby Pomary, said as much as the problem of poor standards can be blamed on the
teachers, she also believes the pupils cannot escape blame since most of them
spend their time watching video, especially those in areas with electricity,
while others also spend their time at funeral grounds playing drums, instead of
sitting behind their books.
Mrs Pomary said the results of this year’s BECE
are not encouraging compared to the previous year’s. According to her, the
district directorate is organising a series of workshops for teachers to change
all anomalies.
More…/
Porter facing stealing charge
A Porter, Kwasi Danso, who operates at the
Kwame Nkrumah Circles has been charged for stealing by an Accra circuit
tribunal. He pleaded not guilty and has been remanded in police custody.
Presenting the facts of the case to the
tribunal, chaired by Mr Imoru Ziblim, ASP Abraham said during the month of
April, Danso broke into a taxi cab parked at a filling station at the Kwame
Nkrumah Circle and made away with a polythene bag containing 3,000 Dutch
Guilders, two credit cards, one international driving permit No. 21324, all
bearing the name of Eric Boache Agyemang.
The prosecution said on April 16, Danso changed
1,000 Dutch Guilders into ˘1.5 million and traveled to his village, Akim
Apinaman in the Eastern Region.
The prosecution said Danso's ostentatious
lifestyle drew the suspicion of his grandmother who questioned him as to how he
came by the money. A search of Danso’s luggage by his grandmother revealed an
amount of ˘750,000, 2,000 Dutch Guilders and the other documents.
Danso explained to his grandmother that he
found the money and the documents on the ground but this explanation did not
convince her and she sent the money to Peace Fm in Accra for an announcement to
be made to inform the owner.
The prosecution said Danso who was not
satisfied with the action taken by his grandmother, started pestering her with
insults and threats of death, if she does not return the money to him.
His grandmother had no alternative but to send
Danso to Peace FM where he confessed stealing the money and the documents.
GRi…/
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