College Principal Suspended For Loading School Bus With Firewood (PHOTO)

The Principal of the Evangelical College of Education at Amedzofe in the Volta Region, Rev. Sylvanus Tettey, has been handed a three-month suspension without pay by the Ministry of Education, for allowing the school’s bus to be used to cart firewood.

In his absence, the Vice Principal of the college will act until the end of the suspension period when he is expected to return to assume his position.
 
An EICHER bus with registration number GE 158 – 16 GH, which was donated to the college less than a year ago was recently spotted carting firewood to the school for use by the school’s kitchen.

The act, which attracted the attention of the ministry, sparked anger among the public and officials of the ministry, which prompted a meeting between the sector Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and his directors on one hand and Rev. Tettey on the other hand last Friday.

Why the suspension

Briefing the Daily Graphic on the outcome of the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), Prof. Mohammed Salifu, explained that the action of Rev. Tettey was deemed to be “gross indiscretion and negligence of duty”.

He said the principal was suspended for failing to take proper care of a public property.

Rev. Tettey was summoned to explain the circumstances that led to the use of the school bus to cart the firewood and why he should not be sanctioned for the “careless misuse of government property”.

Prof. Salifu explained that the outcome of the meeting was the three months’ suspension without pay handed to the principal, explaining that the action of the principal could have attracted summary dismissal but “he pleaded mitigating factors”.

“The action was deemed to be gross indiscretion and negligence of duty and could have resulted in his summary dismissal. But he is a reverend minister and does not have any previous issues with conducts. These put together mitigated the punishment,” he explained.

He added that the sanction handed Rev. Tettey was deemed punitive enough to dissuade others in his position from “careless misuse of government property”.

Principal’s explanation

On why Rev. Tettey took that decision, Prof. Salifu said the principal told the meeting that the firewood was originally being carted in the school’s truck but it developed a technical fault and got stuck at a dangerous section of the road.

He said Rev. Tettey explained that as night time was fast approaching, he needed to evacuate the firewood and get the truck out of the way, and the school bus came in handy.

When contacted, Rev. Tettey confirmed that the suspension was true, even though he was yet to receive an official letter to that effect. He declined to make further comments.