�Chop Chop� @ GSTS

THE Board of Directors of Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) in Takoradi has summoned executives of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the school to appear before it to answer the misapplication of funds charge that has been brought against them. The executives, led by Rev. Boamah Agyekum, allegedly misapplied GH� 161,000 being dues paid by the over 1600 students of the school. The summons follows concerns raised by some teachers and parents and asking the board to probe the issue. The current executives, who were elected into office in 2009 to serve a three year term, are still in office, despite the fact that their tenure had long expired. Some of them too do not have any child in the school to merit the position. The Chronicle established that a PTA meeting held on the 15th of March, this year, some of the parents challenged the continued stay in office of the executives, amid the allegation that they have misapplied GH�171, 000 belonging to the association. Apart from this allegation, the PTA also wants a probe into how a corn mill acquired by the association at the cost of GH�2,400 was also disposed of by the executives. At the March 15th PTA meeting, the parents also demanded answers as to why some of the executives had turned themselves into procurement officers, buying and hiring contractors to work on school project, sidelining the maintenance officer of the school. As a result of this conduct on the part of the executives, the Headmaster of the School, Mr. Ashford Adams has reportedly expressed worry over the continued stay in office of the executives and at a point in time even threatened not to hand over the PTA dues to the executives again. Speaking in a telephone interview with The Chronicle, the headmaster would neither confirm nor deny the allegations being leveled against the executives. He would also not confirm that the executives have outstayed their tenure in office. He, however, told this reporter that the Board of Directors of the school would meet soon to probe the activities of the PTA, following a complaint they have received. The Chairman of the PTA, Rev. Boamah Agyekum, when contacted, denied the misapplication charge being leveled against them. He told this reporter that �no such amount of money had been released to me as the PTA Chairman.� He, however, confirmed that he had been summoned to appear before the Board of the school to render account of his stewardship as the chairman. Rev Agyekum also confirmed that indeed the tenure of office of the current PTA executives had elapsed after three years in office. He, however, said the General Assembly of the school extended their mandate hence their continued stay in office. Touching on other allegations, Rev. Boamah, who is the head pastor of the Takoradi Community Church, denied that he had turned himself into a contractor. He explained that at one time, he hired a mason to work on one of the blocks of the school, which was leaking following persistent complaint from the teachers and students. Boamah told The Chronicle that estimate of materials needed for the work was prepared and the Senior House Master who also did the actual purchasing. Rev. Boamah Agyekum also confirmed the sale of the corn mill, but explained that it was never the decision of the PTA to sell it. He said his attention was drawn to the sale of the machine by a Board member of the school who tasked the PTA to produce the sold corn mill machine. Rev Boamah said he explained to the said Board Member that he had no idea about the sale of the machine. He said, after checking, he realized that the Senior Housemaster of the school had expressed interest in the old corn mill machine. �It was not the decision of the PTA to sell the corn mill but the Senior Housemaster recommended the sale of the machine�, he added.