Joshua Akamba addressing female students at Tempane SHS
Authorities at the Tempane Senior High School (SHS) in the newly-created Tempane District of the Upper East Region, say measures have been put in place to offer counseling to female students who were captured in the video hooting at President Akufo-Addo and Member of Parliament (MP), Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, under the supervision of Joshua Akamba.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the girls have been subjected to ridicule and feel ashamed of their behaviour since many students and teachers on campus hold the MP in high esteem.
On Thursday, October 11, DAILY GUIDE interacted with the students over the conduct the said students.
Three young girls, all first-year students, though there are challenges in the school, they are focused on their books to secure better future for themselves.
Asked whether they know some of the girls in the video, they all answered in the affirmative.
“There is one of them in my class. She is very quiet and disciplined, and since the NDC man and his people made the girls to disrespect the President and the MP, she has not been fine again. People have seen the video and she is now feeling shy.”
Another student said: “There are bedbugs, but as for me I keep my corner, my mattress and my bed sheet clean, so they don’t get me like other girls. If we clean our dorm frequently the bedbugs will reduce. I think we are many so some students keep their areas dirty, that is why the bedbugs have been increasing.”
They admitted that the dormitories are congested, but were hopeful the situation would soon improve with the completion of the Girls’ dormitory by government.
In line with a directive by the Regional Office of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration at the Tempane SHS, Alhaji Issaka Charles Abugri, declined to comment further on the matter.
“The school’s counseling unit is up to task and would offer counseling to the traumatized students.”
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Tempane Constituency, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, who visited the school on that Thursday, said Joshua Akamba of the NDC has done a great disservice to the children and should appologize to their parents, the school and the entire country, for influencing the innocent children negatively.
“I don’t think the children would have done what they did if they had not been misled and probably compelled by Joshua Akamba to hoot at the president and I. In this area, children are trained to respect the elderly.”
“Anyway, the government is doing a lot to improve infrastructure in the school. Even my own contribution to the school is enough for the children to praise and not hoot at me, as Akamba misled the students to do in that propaganda video,” Mr Kpemka said.
“The situation in the school has normalized and students and teachers are looking forward to the next action to be taken in relation to the headmaster, Dominic Ndegu Amolale, after the Committee’s investigations and report.”
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Tempane