An investigative committee has been set up to look into the conduct of the embattled headmaster of the Mfantsipim School; John Kwamina Ankomah as well as the school’s accountant starting Wednesday.
The Ghana Education Service has already asked Headmaster of the school to ” immediately step aside” for charging illegal fees.
In a letter dated 22nd December 2015 and signed by Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Jacob Kor, the headmaster was directed to hand over to the Central Regional Director of Education while investigations continue into the allegations.
The headmaster was inducted into office in March 2014 and has served for 22 months.
Joy News’ Central regional correspondent Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reported that the headmaster charged GH¢1098 despite the GES approved fees of GH¢724.50.
Government approved fees for all SHS includes PTA levies of GH¢52, feeding fee of GH¢308, examination fees, boarding fees and other charges.
Apart from this, if any school wants to undertake a project by the PTA, that school has to put it into writing through the Regional Director of Education to the Director-General of GES for approval.
According to the Central Regional Director of GES, the schools and PTAs have the right to charge fees for projects in the schools, the approval of any such levy is subject to approval by the GES Director-General.
Further investigations proved that students were charged GH¢50 and GH¢40 upon their entry into their dormitories without being given receipts for such charges.
There was another charge of ¢60 as teacher motivation fee which the GES says is illegal because approval has not been sought for such charges.
In furtherance of that, the headmaster and the school accountant were summoned before the GES Director General and the GES management in Accra to explain the reasons behind their actions.
According to the Regional Director of the GES Jacob Kor, the two could not offer any tangible explanation for their actions and were cautioned and asked to refund such monies to students.
Such monies have still not been refunded to the students. The GES found it surprising that fees for the 2nd term went even a notch higher than it did in the first term. This time, the fee was GH¢ 1128.50.
That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
