Corruption, Negligence Rocks GES Directorate

THE DIRECTORATE of the Ghana Education Service (GES), in the Wassa Amenfi District of the Western Region, was allegedly engaged in serious corruption whilst some officials whose duty it was to check them looked on unconcerned.

This was revealed to the Chronicle in an interview with some teachers from the area at Wassa Akropong in March, this year.

According to the teachers, salaries as well as processes towards their promotions were unduly delayed.

As they noted, the situation was drastically different in nearby districts in the Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions.

It was further revealed that the District Director, Mr. J. S. Okrain, was said to have told the affected teachers not to complain but instead take measures to address the sad situation.

The officials were accused of collecting various sums of monies before processing teachers' documents for them which should have been free or out of their (teachers') goodwill to give, if at all.

One of the teachers who only mentioned his name as Ben in the Akropong circuit lamented that he had been cheated by the GES on his promotion which had been delayed for years.

He, however, blamed the district officer for his woes.

He added that his colleagues were now his seniors, having been promoted superintendents whilst he was still assistant superintendent though they all passed out in 1994.

Ben reiterated that teachers Task Relief Forms (TRFs) at the moment were still in the district office which should have been released to the headquarters in Accra for processing.

The teacher who was the spokesman mentioned that many teachers have fallen victim to the lackadaisical attitude of these corrupted officers but fear to voice out.

As a result, many teachers were said to have been threatening to apply for release on transfer to other districts because as they put it "the GES in the Wassa Amenfi district is weak amidst the director not showing remorse towards our plight."