The Northern Regional Director of Education, Mohammed Haroon Cambodia has confirmed government will be paying a staggering GHC400,000 as judgment debt to a private citizen in order to stop the auctioning of vehicles belonging to the Ghana Senior High School in Tamale.
Government is offering the bailout following a chronic transport difficulty that has hit the school for the last two years after a court order impounded the only bus for students and a brand new official pickup vehicle.
Two Nissan patrol vehicles belonging to the Education directorate were also taken by the court.
The vehicles were confiscated to be auctioned to pay up salary arrears of a former headmaster of the school who accused the school and education service of injustices including inappropriate dismissal and concealing his promotion letter.
Late Lionel Mahama was dismissed as headmaster of the school in 1997.
His salary was blocked for years until a CHRAJ ruled in his favor and ordered his reinstatement and payment of all arrears.
The late Lionel went to court to compel the education service to pay his benefits after many failed attempts.
A High Court in Tamale presided over by Justice Lawrence L. Mensah ruled in his favor and also ordered full and immediate payment of outstanding arrears which then stood at GH20000 (Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis) in April 2013.
Sadly, the former headmaster died before the matter was determined by the judge. The amount has now doubled to staggering GHC400,000.
The court directed that properties of the Education service and the School be confiscated for auction to pay off the arrears to the family of late Mahama, currently residing in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Capital.
Many efforts, including protest by students at certain events attended by then president, John Dramani Mahama, didn’t yield any result as the vehicles remained rotting in the court yard, while authorities now pay huge sums to hire vehicles for administrative purposes.
Speaking at the school’s speech and prize giving event held last week, Alhaji Cambodia said when he informed President Akufo-Addo about the seizure, he immediately ordered Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Premper, to capture the arrears in the 2018 budget, which has been approved by parliament.
The Director suggested government was paying the money as judgment debt and described the administration as “government who means business”.
Alhaji Cambodia disclosed the debt had been captured in last year’s national budget and claimed he had evidence to prove plans were in advanced stages for the release of funds to defray the arrears.
“I got evidence that the ministry of Education and the GES are processing the cheque and that it will be paid by the second week of March or third week of March”, Cambodia revealed.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Eliasu Tanko
