Students in Senior High Schools (SHS) across the Oti Region are calling for a sweeping overhaul of school leadership, alleging widespread corruption involving headmasters, bursars, and auditors.
These accusations, relayed from the Oti Regional branch of the Ghana Education Service (GES), paint a picture of student discontent over inadequate feeding, poor accommodation, and insufficient medical treatment.
Speaking anonymously to our correspondent, students expressed growing frustration, stating that if the government fails to intervene, mass demonstrations may be organized to demand the removal of those implicated in the alleged malpractices.
“We are underfed,” one student stated, “and our investigations show that auditors, headmasters, and bursars are colluding to inflate ledger accounts and steal food meant for students.
School matrons are forced into silence, risking transfer if they speak out.”
The students claim that despite promises from the central government, improvements in their living conditions and meals have not materialized in the Oti Region.
They question the adequacy of current rations, such as “a cup of gari and beans” or “a handful of tuber of yam or banku with okro stew,” as sufficient daily sustenance.
“When shall Oti SHSs see improvement?” one student passionately questioned. “Can a cup of gari and beans or a handful of tuber of yam or banku with okro stew feed a student a day?”
The students are prepared to take direct action against those they believe are responsible. “We are well prepared to demonstrate against school headmasters, auditors, and bursars in the Oti Regional Branch of the Ghana Education Service who want to disgrace the government,” they asserted, calling for a thorough probe into Oti SHSs.
They demanded that any official found culpable be held accountable under the law.
The students further allege that matrons have been rendered powerless due to the alleged corrupt practices, leaving students to suffer in silence.
The students also issued a warning to the newly appointed Oti Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Madam Attabra Jacqueline Irene, and the regional accountant, Mr. William Havor, urging them to investigate the various deals and irregularities within the schools before the situation escalates further.
The situation echoes a previous case in 2024, where alleged corruption led to the transfer of the then-Oti Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service following a petition to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Rev. Minister Very Re. Prophet Anthony Kwarteng in Accra even petitioned the office of the former Vice President, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia, regarding the case.
The situation in Oti Region’s SHS remains tense as students await action from the government and the Ghana Education Service.
The demand for accountability and immediate improvements in their living conditions underscores the growing frustration among the student body.
