Another School Palaver

Headmaster, staff, students in stand-off

MR. J. E. Adjei, headmaster of Boakye Tromo Secondary Technical School, at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Brong Ahafo Region, will be debarred from the school by August 2002 due to threats by students and the entire staff of the school.

The students and staff want Adjei out of the school due to what they alleged as his autocratic rule.

This threat was leaked out to the Chronicle by a higher placed source at Duayaw Nkwanta.

The source disclosed that the students cautioned a committee set by the Omanhene of Duayaw Nkwanta, Nana Boakye Tromo, the Board of Governors and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that there will be violence and demonstrations against the headmaster if they continue to keep him in the school.

Reasons given for the intended removal of the headmaster are as follows:

In March, this year, students of the school staged a demonstration against his conduct on a number of issues which include the collection of different school fees from students in the same class, misuse of funds from the Otumfuo Education Endowment Fund, over-crowding and the relationship between him, students and staff.

During the demonstration, the headmaster allegedly pulled a gun and shot at the students.

A gun had been given to the school's watchman to shoot any student who dared to approach him (the headmaster).

A reliable source close to the committee hinted that findings yet to be presented have necessitated calling for the removal of the headmaster by the end of August to ensure total peace and smooth running of the school.

The report, according to our source, revealed that most of the allegations levelled against the headmaster are true.

The only allegation from which the committee exonerated Adjei was the collection of school fees. Different amounts are collected from different students in the same form on the basis of the course being read.

At a stage, according to the source, the headmaster exhibited such autocratic behaviour in dealing with the committee.

What prompted his alleged ungentlemanly behaviour towards the committee was a question put to him on how ?10 million donated to the school from the Otumfuo Education Endowment Fund had been disbursed.

Our source revealed that Adjei denied receiving the money from the fund but rather from Mamponghene, Nana Osei Bonsu II who represented Otumfuo at the school's Speech and Prize giving day celebration at Duayaw Nkwanta in March, this, year.

Adjei allegedly told the committee that the money had not been given to the school on the application sent to the trustees of the fund for school projects but only for the anniversary and as such he could use the money without consulting anybody. This did not go down well with the committee.

They, therefore, cautioned the headmaster against such contempt but he would not mind them.

The headmaster was made to know that the money was given to the school because, traditionally, the Omanhene of Duayaw Nkwanta is the brother-in-law of the Asantehene and since the school bears the Omanhene's name, it stands to reason that the Asantehene gave the money through the fund to finance some of the school's projects.

The headmaster later explained to the committee that he had used the money to purchase the anniversary T-shirts and interlock, but the committee disagreed with him.

He told the committee that he would refund the money.

When contacted, the headmaster said since the District and Regional Directors, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, the PTA and the Omanhene of Duayaw Nkwanta, had set up a committee to investigate the issue he would not comment.

The headmaster said the outcome is final and that he is prepared to accept it.

He told our correspondent that the issue which came to a head in February, this year, is no longer of public interest and described it as "dead news."

He, therefore, cannot see why the press is still interested in it, he said.