Management and the Old Students Association of Ghana Senior High School in Tamale have described the viral video which captured some students of the school using a toilet facility for accommodation as a mark of irresponsible journalism.
According to the Northern Region Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, who is also an old student, he used the said converted facility during his days as a student of the school.
“I am an old student myself and the practice was when we vacate and leaving school, we will always keep our boxes in those cubicles and when we return we pick them and use them again.
“Those toilet facilities were never used for such purposes and so students including myself, found comfort keeping our items there and so what the journalists videoed is untrue.”
Management and the Association of the school have also denied converting the said toilet facilities into accommodation for use by the students.
“We have enough dormitory accommodation. A two-storey dormitory block is standing unoccupied and even the used ones still have enough space, so why will we convert toilet facilities into accommodation when we have excess space?” the Senior Housemaster, Sayibu Fuseini, quizzed.
Suspension
A release from the headquarters of the Ghana Education Service (GES) signed by its Public Relations Officer, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, communicated the interdiction of the Headmaster, Douglas Haruna Yakubu, and the Senior Housemaster.
According to the statement, the videos showing some students of Ghanasco using toilet cubicles as dormitories is disturbing and unfortunate.
“The headmaster and the Senior housemaster have been directed to step aside to allow for further investigations into the matter by the regional director of education and report back in two weeks.”
Investigation
A team from the national headquarters of the Ghana Education Service together with some regional officers have commenced investigations into the matter.
The officers were in the school on Monday, April 17 to asses the situation.