*Director, fake finance officer cited

Information gathered by Today points to massive ‘chop-chop’ (to wit fraud) at the
offices of the Nzema
East Education Directorate in the Western Region as some mafia-like groups are
using their portfolios to extort money from the meagre back pay of teachers.
The alleged extortion, Today gathers, is jointly
master-minded by a typist, who has now been illegally confirmed by his
authorities to operate as a finance officer, apparently due to his cunning
ability at swindling teachers, especially those newly-appointed by the Ghana
Education Service (GES,) of their pay and other entitlements due them.
The said typist, according to sources, has neither a
financial background nor ever studied finance, but has been imposed on the
system by the Nzema East Education Director, Madam Mariam Quansah, to operate
to serve her interest, thereby rendering redundant the actual technocrat for
the job at the directorate.
Some of the victims of this fraud, who pleaded
anonymity, accused the two, Madam Mariam Quansah, and her confidant, Mr Vincent
Okoe, of making wrongful deductions from their back pays.
This was after a recent misunderstanding between one of
the newly-appointed teachers and the fraud of a finance officer, who is widely
known by staff and teachers in the Nzema East education circle for his
nefarious activities, over an attempt to deduct an unreasonable amount from the
victim’s back pay, dating as far back as 2010.
According to the victim, the unofficial finance
officer, Mr Okoe, alleged that the deduction was made as a statement of
appreciation for their (director’s and his) efforts in processing the documents
for the payment of the back pay at the office of the Controller and
Account-General’s Department.
“You have no power to stop us from taking what is due
us,” Mr Okoe is reported to have said to one of the teachers.
When Today contacted him, Mr Okoe refused
to comment, saying he is not the right authority to address the issue.
On her part, the District Director, Ms Mariam
Quansah, confirmed the existence of her accomplice, Mr Okoe, as the officer in
charge of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Database (IPPD), adding that he [Mr
Okoe] deals with the processing of the new staff members of the GES unto the
payroll system.
She mentioned that all the allegations against
her was due to sheer envy by her detractors and urged all to treat the rumour
with a pinch of salt.
She also remarked that the matter has already
been reported to her attorneys for a legal advice aimed at fishing out those who
were perpetrating her downfall.
When quizzed further by this reporter about her
alleged involvement in the extortion case, the livid director yelled, “I know
who you are,” and angrily hanged up.
According to sources, the fraud has been going on since
Madam Quansah assumed office as District Director. “If it is allowed to continue,
it would not
auger well for the education system here,” one of the victims stated.
Speaking to this reporter, some staff of the district education
office confirmed the allegation of fraud stressing that all is not well, and
called on authorities at the helm of affairs at the GES to immediately
intervene to avert a catastrophe.
The staff also accused the director of hijacking the
responsibilities of other members of staff of the office and handing it to
incompetent individuals to handle such duties.
“In fact the finance officer has been stopped from
working on our pay slips by the director, while a common typist who has no idea
about finance and is not a professional is doing that job,” one of the staff
told Today.
“We were shocked when Mr Okoe was directed to operate
as the finance officer and now goes to Accra to check on our pay slips and
process the salaries of teachers. [Now
he sometimes] blocks the salaries of some members of staff whom, he claims, are
not in good terms with him,” stressed sources at the GES.
He has even been cited for orchestrating the transfer
of some members of staff who always stood their ground against these illegal
acts.
The agitated staff of the district education office and
teachers in the district are therefore calling on the Minister for Education
and the Director-General of the GES to – as a matter of urgency – call Madam
Quansah and Mr Okoe to order to ensure those properly responsible for the
finance department are empowered to do their work without fear or favour.