No toilet has been converted to accommodation at GHANASCO - Haruna Iddrisu

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central and former Majority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has refuted assertions in the media, that a toilet in one of the schools in his constituency, the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO), has been converted to provide accommodation for students.

According to him, the said facility, which was captured in a viral video, even though is a toilet, has never been used as one since the 1970s.

The former majority leader, who was speaking to the media after visiting the school to get details of the matter, added that the facility was used as a store room but some of the students isolated themselves there to study.

“Much of what has been put out publicly is not entirely factual and accurate, (it) lacks the historical perspective and the lack of use of the facility even as largely reported as if there is an official record of students being posted to those sections referred to as students sleeping in toilets and bathrooms.

“There is no official record to support that view. It is largely being used as a box room and abandoned since the 1970s and 80s as a toilet and bathroom.

“But has been used by some category of students searching for isolation, for purposes of learning, to isolate themselves,” he said.



Background:

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, shared a video alleged to be a shot of a toilet facility of GHANASCO turned into a sleeping place for students.

The said video, which has been sighted by GhanaWeb, showed student mattresses, chop boxes, bags and other student materials in the toilet compartment of a washroom.



Some of the materials and the students could also be seen in the hallway of the washroom.

In another video shared by the MP, a form one student, named Godlove, said that they have been left with no toilet facility in their dormitory.

He said that the students have now resorted to open defecation, which has led to a health crisis in the school with students always falling sick.

Subsequently, the GES temporarily suspended the headmaster and senior housemaster of GHANASCO.

According to GES, the school turning a toilet into an accommodation facility is unacceptable since records indicate that the school is supposed to have excess accommodation capacity for 300 students.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 16, 2023, the GES indicated that the headmaster and the housemaster have been suspended pending an investigation into the matter, which is expected to last two weeks.

Viral Video on GHANASCO's supposed toilet-turned-accormodation:



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IB/WA