Open Letter to the Headmaster of Kumawu Tweneboah Koduah Senior High School

Dear Headmaster,

It has not only come to my attention, but also, confirmed by my in-depth investigations conducted into the issue that you have consciously or unconsciously turned the school into a semi police cum military camp lately. What really bothers me is your decision to shut down the school infirmary to provide an accommodation for the security forces. To me, this decision of yours was not thought through properly.

The school infirmary had existed, probably in a different form and name since the very inception of the school. During the era of the following persons as the School Prefects in the descending order as I am indicating, Duffour (deceased), Gyasi, Pianim, "Akoloo" and Sekyere-Marfo, the school had a dispensary in the canteen block situated by the Masters' tower block. It was catered for by two female students, a tall one and a short one. Both were close friends. The tall one befriended Pianim and the short one was going out with Pianim's best friend.

I am sorry for disclosing the above detailed information, however, I want to prove to you that I am an alumnus of the school and also, to insist on the importance of having a place on campus to cater for the basic healthcare needs of the students.

The school now has a student population of about three thousand. The need for school infirmary for a school with such a great number of student population cannot be overstated. Nevertheless, it is this same period that you see it as completely irrelevant hence shutting it down permanently to convert the building into a hostel to house the normally unwelcome, or encroaching visitors – the police and military personnel.

Would you mind telling the students and the nation why you have closed down the infirmary and got the Senior Nurse transferred to Effiduase Government General Hospital? Who authorised you to close down the school infirmary? Was it a decision taken by you alone, or it was taken by the entire teaching staff with the Board of Governors for the school inclusive?

Who authorised you to accommodate the police/military personnel in armoured carriers in the school infirmary? Why should they be allowed unfettered access to the school campus, revving the engines and screeching the tyres of their armoured carriers threateningly? Did you accommodate them as a result of the usual outrageous and typical Ghanaian-intimidating "order from above"? If it was, who ordered you to do that? Do you know that some of the students have suffered needless stresses, depression and are trauma to the point of requiring psychological counselling because of the intermittent, but incessant sighting and presence of the armed personnel on their campus?

Who pays for their feeding when they eat from the same food and dining hall as the students do? I am not happy at all about this administrative error that you have committed to wound the feeling of the students. Were you ordered by the Ministry of Education to admit the armed personnel to the campus for the entire duration that they decide to make their illegal incursions to Kumawu?

For your information, I have spoken with some Members of Parliament to raise this issue in Parliament. The school infirmary must be restored and the police/soldiers never allowed mingling with the students; sleeping on campus, moving their armoured carriers frighteningly among the students.

Yours Sincerely,

Rockson Adofo