Ministry to investigate allegations at Asuogyaman

Atimpoku (ER), Jan. 27, GNA- The Ministry of Education, Sports and Science is to investigate allegations of misuse of funds and overcharging of fees leveled against some officials of the Asuogyaman District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service GES).

The Ministry is also to investigate another allegation of diversion for personal use of a bus belonging to the Ajena Secondary Technical also in the same district.

A Deputy Minister of Education Sports and Science, Mr. Kwame Twumasi-Ampofo, said the investigations are to enable the ministry substantiate

or otherwise the allegations leveled against the officials by some contributors at the district's turn of the People's Assembly held at Atimpoku on Thursday.

The Deputy Minister was seen conferring with some officials of the GES in the district after the allegations were made and later announced that he was not satisfied with the explanations being offered him by them and decided to launch an investigation into the two incidents.

Mr. Twumasi-Ampofo wondered why some district directorates were still charging for examinations fees when the ministry has procured duplicating machines for all districts for the conduct of examinations and described the practice, when proven as unacceptable.

He assured the people of Asuogyaman that results of both investigations could be ready in about a week so as to re-confirm to the people that the forum was meant for quick problem solving and not a mere talk shop.

A contributor had claimed that officials of Asuogyaman District Directorate of Education were charging parents 70,000 cedis for the conduct of mock examinations despite a government directive that warns against such practices.

The contributor observed that the policy, as being implemented by the directorate also breaches rules governing the implementation on the Capitation Grant which was to take care of such recurrent expenditure by schools and demanded a refund.

In the case of the Ajena Secondary Technical bus case, the contributor had claimed that authorities of the school were using the bus for personal gains such as carting charcoal for sale at major markets in the district while students of the school, some who reside in outlying towns were made to ply four kilometers in some instances each day to school.

Mr. Yaw Barimah said Ghanaians were taken the issue of freedom of speech beyond the point of respectability and assured the Paramount Chiefs of Boso Gua and Anum that, he would report the conduct of some public servants who erred in their dealings to their superiors for the necessary action.

On how the state could assist resolve the decade long Akwamu chieftaincy impasse, Mr Barimah said it was now incumbent on the people to demand of the feuding parties a cessation of hostilities to enable a lasting resolution to the conflict.

He said efforts he has personally expended so far in seeing an amicable resolution of the conflict has failed adding that it was up to the rank and file of Akwamu to demand of the feuding parties a stoppage to the crisis.

Nana Osei Nyarko and Nana Appiah Kumi, Paramount Chiefs of Boso Gua and Anum respectively, had expressed indignation at the behaviour of some officials of Electricity Company at Kpeve leading to the disconnection of power to the Bosu Gua palace in flagrant disregard of a state directive that palaces serving paramountcies were to be exempted from electricity bills. 27 Jan. 07