The Paramount Chief of Assin Apimanim Traditional Area, Barima Kwame Nkyi XII
The Paramount Chief of Assin Apimanim Traditional Area in the Central Region, Nana Barima Kwame Nkyi XII, is threatening to sue the Minister of Education, Alex Tettey-Enyo, and the Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES).
Although there is no substantive Director-General of Education after the retirement of Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, the paper gathered that the writ of summons as it stands now covers any person who would be appointed to the position.
According to Nana Nkyi, his intended action is being necessitated by what he describes as non-performance on the part of the two officers.
Barima Kwame XII is accusing the two of failing to punish Mr Garth Kwakye, the headmaster of Assin Manso Senior High School, who was found culpable in examination irregularities in the school in 2007.
The two are expected to be served with the summons by the close of the week, a palace spokesperson has disclosed to the paper.
Addressing the press in Cape Coast, Nana Nkyi said he was taking the action against the two officials in order for them to rise up to their responsibilities rather than being “only interested in the incentives that come with their post”.
“People put in offices must have a duty to discharge their duties to the satisfactory of the masses.
Anything short of that they must be held accountable,” Nana Nkyi noted.
According to him, although the GES found the headmaster of Assin Manso SHS guilty of flouting examination regulations as published in the Daily Graphic of January 5, 2007 he has been allowed to stay on without any punishment.
“The law is no respecter of persons and you must let the law take its rightful course,” Nana Nkyi stressed.
He labeled as frivolous the excuse by the then Director-General of Education and the sector Minister that the Central Regional Directorate of Education failed to report the conduct of the headmaster to his outfit, since in the opinion of the chief, they were more avenues for them to do a follow-up.
Chief Nkyi said the Education Minister should not sit down for his subordinates to inform him on critical issues before taking actions to the detriment of others, adding that he has secured interlocutory injunction on the inauguration of the school’s board of governors.
He stressed that the headmaster has no right to inaugurate the board, since in the opinion of Nana Nkyi, most of the members of the board are cronies of the headmaster.
In the estimation of the Assin paramount chief, the removal of the headmaster from office was long overdue as he has proven consistently that he was not fit for the job.
He alleged that the headmaster uses the Assin Manso SHS property, particularly the school’s truck to transport pupils of his private school to and from Assin Darmang and Abura Dunkwa, adding that indiscipline has increased in the school during the tenure of the current headmaster and who has also refused to invite a representative of the traditional council to the board of governors as the constitution demands.
Barima Nkyi has therefore called on President Mills to call his minister to order to ensure that the right things are done.
STORY: FROM MAGDALENE SEY, CAPE COAST