James Klutse Avedzi
FORMER HEADMASTER of Nkoranman Senior High School at Seikwa who is now the headmaster of Odumaseman Senior High School, Joseph Abudu Jelinjeh and the school’s accountant, Ransford Boahene, yesterday struggled to find answers to questions posed by members of Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
The committee is currently sittings in Sunyani in the Bono Region to probe the infractions recorded in the Auditor General’s Report.
The committee, which is sitting for the next six days, began hearing last Monday into pre-tertiary institutions (Senior High Schools) and Technical Universities from four regions including Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Ashanti.
The report implicated the headmaster and his finance officer in 2017 for misappropriating GH¢500,000 being school fees and registration fees of students who were sitting for West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Posing the first question, the chairman of the committee, James Klutse Averdzi said according to the report an estimated revenue of over GH¢500,000 paid by 335 students was unaccounted for.
The current headmaster of Nkoranman Senior High School explained that he was not at post during the period and so the former headmaster who is currently heading Odumaseman SHS, Joseph Abudu Jelinjeh and the then accountant, Ransford Boahene now on retirement were supposed to answer for the infraction.
Mr. Jelinjeh said he took steps to address all issues raised by auditors but his answer was refuted by the auditors saying they could not affirm it.
When the then accountant, Ransford Boahene was queried, he replied that district auditors from Wenchi had confirmed payment of the money and was issued with a letter to that effect containing the list of payments made by the students, but could not be authenticated by the committee.
The supposed list angered the chairman who made it clear that the accountant could suffer perjury for lying under oath before the committee.
Apart from Nkoranman SHS, other pre-tertiary institutions that appeared before the committee on the first day included Twene Amanfo Secondary Technical High School – Sunyani, Koase SHS – Wenchi, Berekum Presby SHS – Berekum and Menji Agricultural SHS – Menji.
The rest were Istiqaama SHS – Wenchi, Sunyani SHS, Sunyani Methodist Technical Institute – Baakonuba and Nkoranman SHS – Seikwa.
From Daniel Yao Dayee, Sunyani