A youth group in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region has locked up the headmaster’s office of Gbeogo School for the deaf in the district.
The group, Talensi Rock Youth Association (TAROYA) on Wednesday 14th July 2021 locked up the headmaster’s office at the Gbeogo school for the Deaf over what it describes as “undemocratic appointment” of the new headmaster for the school.
A press release signed and copied to A1 News by Rockson Bukari and Clement Kpelim-Etme President and Secretary of the association respectively stated “illegalities and undemocratic appointment” of the new headmaster to the school.
According to the association, the former headmaster of the school Felix Netege who got promoted to be a District Director of Education in one of the districts in the Western-North Region is replacing someone they says is from his village without following the normal laydown procedure.
The association lock-up the headmaster’s office while calling on authorities to use proper procedure and appoint a new headmaster for the school in order for peace to be prevail in the school and the district.
According to the association the manner in which the new headmaster has been appointed it constituted to disrespectful to the overlord for Talensi traditional area and the People of Talentenga.
Below is the full press release.
WEDNESDAY, 14TH JULY, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
OUTRIGHT REJECTION OF AN APPOINTED HEADMASTER TAKING OVER THE ADMININSTRATION OF THE GBEOGO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF WITHOUT RECOURSE TO DUE PROCESS
Good morning distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press. You are welcome to the Talensi District and more especially to the Campus of the Gbeogo School for the Deaf.
The Talensi Rock Youth Association (TAROYA) has taken note of the fact that there has been unfair, illegal and undemocratic appointment of a gentleman to take over the headship of the Gbeogo School for the Deaf without recourse to due process which contravenes the normal procedure and conventions for the replacement of a headmaster in special schools when their offices become vacant. This came to light through a petition copied us from staff and workers of the school (see photocopy of the said document attached). A summary of this petition indicates that the former Headmaster, Mr. Felix Netege, is the brain behind the current tension prevailing in the school.
The purpose of this press release is therefore to expose the under-dealings of the former Headmaster (now District Director of Education in the Western-North Region), that is Mr. Felix Netege, leading to the appointment of his kinsman from the same village in the Upper West Region as his successor.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, the facts of the appointment in contention include the following:
1. To the best of our knowledge, there has never been any Circular advertising vacancy of the position of Headmaster of the school as was done in the case of the Savelugu and the Wa Deaf Schools some months ago.
2. We have witnessed three headmasters taking over headship of the school, himself inclusive (Mr. Felix Netege), at different times and in each case, interviews were always conducted at the Talensi District Education Office and the best candidates details were sent to the Ghana Education Service (GES) Headquarters for appointment through the Upper East Regional Director of Education. He is the best person to confirm this assertion.
3. We are told the same happened with the recent appointments of heads appointed to the Savelugu and Wa Deaf Schools. Why then should these processes be skipped or truncated in the case of finding a replacement to fill the vacancy at the Gbeogo School for the Deaf this time round?
4. Mr. Felix Netege (Former Headmaster of the school) painted four senior staff of the school who could succeed him black to the Special Education Divisional Director. Thereafter, they were never given a hearing at all by the Divisional Director before the controversial appointment of this new headmaster. This, to us, is injustice to the highest order.
5. With the turn of events, our Overlord, the Tongorana (also a Member of the Council of State for the Upper East Region) appealed to the Special Education Divisional Director through his Divisional Chief, the Baare-naab, Nya’akora Maantii to allow the normal procedure and conventions to be followed leading to the appointment of a most qualified candidate, acceptable by the staff, workers and indeed all stakeholders of the school. He did so through this Divisional Chief whom he sent in person to the Special Education Divisional Director at the GES Headquarters. However, his plea was snubbed by the Special Education Divisional Director. Consequently, a newly appointed Headmaster by the division reported for duty today, 13th July, 2021 from headquarters straight to the school. This is highly annoying and unacceptable!
6. Reading in between the lines, there is the suspicion that there was some under-dealings by the former Headmaster with the Divisional Director to perpetuate the appointment of his kinsman regardless of any ill-feeling by any stakeholder of the school.
We wish to unequivocally state that the Talensi Traditional Area is not happy with the current impasse in the school. We again wish to state that if the Divisional Director does not respect our chiefs and Tindaanam, we do. And so, we will resist this very appointment until the right thing is done for peace and tranquillity to prevail in the school.
Long live, Talenteng!
Long live, Upper East Region!
Long live, Ghana!
Thank you.
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ROCKSON BUKARI CLEMENT KPELIM-ETME
(The President) (The Secretary)
024 – 303 194 6
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Ghana
