The headmaster of Manya Krobo Senior High School (SHS) in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region, Rev. Isaac Sackey Kwao, has called on the general public to treat the news making the rounds that he has dipped his hands into the coffers of the school, with the contempt it deserves.
According to the headmaster who doubles as a Presbyterian pastor, the speculations were an attempt to drag his image in the mud by some members of staff who are not happy about his disciplinary leadership.
�Even though I�m not a saint, I will not like to do anything that will bring my name into disrepute not only as a man of God but also a role model that many people are looking up to�, he assured.
He made these observations in response to allegations levelled against him by some members of staff, who accused him of financial misappropriation afrom the Presbyterian Education Fund (PEF).
According to the teaching and non-teaching staff, MAKROSEC, as it is affectionately known, is not a Presbyterian school, yet students are billed with an amount of Gh�11 per student per term as contributions to the PEF.
They argue that even though the school is not a Presbyterian school, students are being asked to pay the levy. The headmaster had used the levy as a deposit to acquire a loan from the Upper Manya Krobo Rural Bank to buy a Toyota Fortuna car with registration number GN4016-13.
They described the purchase of the Toyota Fortuna as unnecessary since the school already has three cars including an Opel Astra, Mercedes benz and a 58 seater bus, hence the money could have been used for other developments.
They further accused their headmaster for undermining and compromising quality teaching and learning in the school for using a certain Prosper Tamatey, a Mathematics tutor of the school as his personal driver instead of a school driver.
The decision of the headmaster to use the Mathematics tutor as his personal driver, the paper learnt, has negatively affected teaching and learning, particularly Maths, since the students are left to their fate anytime the headmaster travels outside the municipality for weeks.
Rev. Kwao was further accused by his staff for what they described as a deliberate refusal to promote some members of the non-teaching staff, laboratory assistants and some cooks, who have obtained higher certificates.
Rev. Kwao, confirming the purchase of the vehicle, hinted that the vehicle was purchased by the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery through the PEF to facilitate his movement after it was realised that the Opel Astra could no longer travel long distances.
On the PEF, he explained that even though the school is not totally owned by the Presbyterian Church, the church has a share, hence it was not out of place for students to pay the levy which aimed at the total development of the school.
Rev. Kwao stressed that the PEF was instituted to complement the efforts of government, since almost all these institutions have serious challenges which affect their smooth teaching and learning, infrastructure requirements as well as administration and academic needs.
�The Dangme-Tongu Presbytery being mindful of the fact that government is doing all it can to cater for the overall development of these educational institutions, much more support is needed from all stakeholders�, he noted.
The fund shall be disbursed towards infrastructural development, provision of vehicles for the use of the institutions, administrative and academic support such as provision of computers, library books and financial support for needy students.
A letter dated January 17, 2014 and signed by Rev. Dr Samuel Ayete-Nyampong, Clerk of General Assembly, stated that �the Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana are instituting education funds to generate and provide financial resources to facilitate educational activities in the Presbyterian Schools.�
It was copied to all chairpersons of Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Presbyteries, all Regional Directors of Education, Ghana Education Service, all Heads of Presbyterian SHSs and General Manager of Presbyterian schools.
According to the letter, the church and state have fruitfully collaborated over a long period in the delivery and management of education in the country.
It continued that, in the spirit of that collaboration, the steadily dwindling grants from the state and the further advancement of education in the country the schools are, therefore, tasked to formalize the levying of the students.
He has therefore welcomed anybody or government to open investigations into the financial activities, if deemed fit, in order to bring the speculations to an end because his hands are clean and he has not committed any crime.
<<Print>>