Tutors of the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College who exposed alleged financial and procurement malfeasances by the principal of the college say they will now remain spectators as they have had to learn their lessons the hard way.
The tutors in October 2017 alleged the principal, Mr. Bawa Awula, and the accountant of the college were among other things, engaged in financial malfeasance and noncompliance with procurement procedures.
They locked up the office of the principal to demand he stepped aside for investigations to be conducted into the matter. They also boycotted lectures to press home their demands, a situation that denied students their last semester exams.
According to the tutors, Deputy Health Minister Tina Gifty Mensah on February 12, 2018 visited the school and informed them that the principal and the accountant were paying back the monies they misappropriated.
The minister, they claimed, ordered them to resume work under the supervision of the very principal they have made the allegation against but they declined on the basis of bad blood between them.
“Unfortunately, the deputy health minister did not take it kindly and decided that she would transfer all tutors and bring new people since we are not willing to work with the principal,” a senior lecturer at the college, Edward Atim, told a news conference Thursday.
Though the tutors expressed gratitude to the deputy minister for at least acting on the allegations which caused an investigations into the matter four months ago, they claimed they have since not been made aware of the findings.
According to Mr. Atim, the minister confirmed in a radio interview that there was financial malfeasance as alleged, which they claimed she described as criminal, yet the principal is still at post.
She further disclosed they principal and the accountant were refunding the money, he claimed.
“The basic question is should the principal be at post when he has accepted and refunding monies to the college? Should all tutors be transferred for being whistleblowers, citizens but not spectators?” Mr. Atim asked.
He explained that they decided to be citizens when they exposed the wrongdoing but developments after have taught them a lesson.
“Teachers have learnt the very hard way, that rather than being citizens as encouraged by the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we will be spectators in our new station henceforth,” he declared.
Mr. Atim dared the deputy minister to carry out her transfer threat, indicating that they were ready to go since it will even be a blessing to them considering the level of conditions they’re faced with at the college.
“We tutors wish to state unequivocally that we are ready for the transfers. In any case, the deputy minister disclosed that she will not allow her child to attend this college because of its horrible state or status. These suggest that it will be a blessing for tutors to be transferred to other colleges or institutions,” he stated.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana