The Bono East Regional Chapter of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by Chairman Unas Owusu affectionately called “Chairman Unasco” is calling on President Nana Addo-Dankwah Akuffo-Addo, the Speaker of Parliament and Chief Justice of Ghana to ensure that the four persons arrested for allegedly stealing food items meant to feed Free SHS Students at Atebubu SHS and New Konkrompe Community SHS are duly tried in the law Court and justice sincerely delivered.
Speaking at a Press Conference in Techiman, Mr. Suleman Mohammed-Mustapha popularly known as Airborne Ranger the Bono East Regional NDC Communications Officer said the persons arrested in connection with the crime are known NPP sympathizers and that could be the reason why the Municipal Chief Executive and the Free SHS Secretariat is being lackadaisical in putting the suspects before the law.
It would be recalled that the Atebubu District Police Command arrested a matron, driver, storekeeper and a landlord who according to the MCE after Police interrogations accepted to have stolen food items including maize, rice, beans and cooking oil meant to feed our future leaders who are studying under Government’s Free SHS program in the Atebubu/Amantin Municipality of Bono East Region.
It is in this direction that the NDC wants to draw the attention of the whole Nation to keenly follow the matter in order not to be thrown under the carpet for political reasons because the suspects are NPP members but be punished to serve as deterrent to others practicing such barbaric acts in other schools.
Mr. Suleman Mohammed-Mustapha the Bono East Regional NDC Communications Officer reiterated that this expose’ by the Atebubu MCE and Police comes to confirm Former President John Dramani Mahama’s recent statement that the Free SHS is not properly implemented especially with the feeding of our dear students.
Find below the full statement
*SHIELDING THE THIEVES IN YOUR PARTY WHILE ACCUSING JM, SMACKS OF A CALLOUS LEADER – BONO EAST NDC COMMUNICATION OFFICER RESPONDS TO ATEBUBU – AMANTEN MCE.*
27/04/2023
The MCE for Atebubu Amantin Municipal on Monday granted interviews across the length and breadth of Ghana of an arrest made by the Ghana Police Service based on a tip-off.
The arrest had to do with stolen food items belonging to Atebubu SHS and New Konkrompe Community SHS. According to Hon. Edward Owusu – MCE for Atebubu Amantin Municipal Assembly, the stolen food items included 46 bags of maize, 10 bags of rice, 24 bags of beans, and 25 litres of cooking oil.
The culprits included a matron, a driver, a storekeeper, and a landlord who were arrested and have accepted the charges levelled against them as stealing the above food items according to a report he received from the District Police Commander of Atebubu Amantin. He added that these culprits would be arranged before court on Tuesday 25 April, 2023 only for the media and the general public to be seriously disappointed because the case was not filed and the prosecutor did not show up.
The credible information we are gathering is that some of the culprits who admitted stealing these food items as reported by Hon. Edward Owusu are NPP Apparatchiks. Hence, plans are far advanced to shield these persons from the law. Trust us to follow the story to its legal conclusion because the NPP with President Nana Addo as the Senior Corruption Clearing Agent has this disease infected his appointees, and you, Hon. MCE one of them. Bawa, one of the culprits, is a Polling Station Executive of the NPP in Atebubu Amantin Constituency and doubles as errands boy for Musah Shaibu – Constituency Chairman of Atebubu Amantin. We are on this note admonishing that Hon. Edward Owusu, Head of the Municipal Security Council, should do the needful by making sure his party people are arranged before the Law Court for justice to be served in the interest of the masses.
Hon. MCE, it is intriguing and highly absurd to state that this theft case vindicates President Nana Addo and Vice President Alhaji Bawumia that they have been supplying food to the schools but due to the food items being stolen by those in charge of making sure that foods are prepared and fed to our students are those to be blamed but not the government hence H.E. John Dramani Mahama should check his facts well before commenting on the poor and meagre meals being served to our learners in our schools. His Excellency John Mahama is abreast with happenings in the country Ghana that he so much loves, hence speaks based on facts and figures. Do not use one theft case by your Party Apparatchiks to generalize an academic disaster that is bringing the Second Cycle Education to its knees.
For the records:
1. Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools of the five Northern Regions came up with a press conference bemoaning the government’s inability to supply food items to their schools hence giving the Nana Addo/Bawumia administration 7 days ultimatum to do the needful or they close down the schools.
2. Joyonline published a news item with the headline “The situation is dire” SHS heads threaten to close down schools due to food shortage. This story was filed by Evans Aziamor – Mensah and Adwoa Adobea Owusu on the 10th October 2022. Like many others, it’s worth reading this story if one wants to appreciate the reality that is starring at us in the face.
3. “Senior High Schools Risk Shutdown As Food Shortage Worsens” was another reportage by Edward Azeka Williams and Felix Tsri of Citinews published on the 15th August 2022.
4. Rev. Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere of Opoku Ware SHS lamented how the Nana Addo and Bawumia led administration deceived heads of SHS to go to their respective banks to cash out funds meant for feeding. He narrated to the media that the government promised to credit the schools account by 9:00am. on January 10, 2023, but it turned out to be a scam.
5. Fellow Countrymen and Women, “the last straw that broke the camel’s back”, was the shameful admission by the Minister of Education Hon. Dr. Yaw Adutwum in July 2022 that indeed, the Nana Addo/Bawumia NPP administration owes the National Food Buffer Stock Company a whopping Three – Hundred and Forty Million Ghana Cedis (GH₵340,000,000), hence the inability of the Company to supply food items to schools.
6. Summing up the pieces of evidence provided above is the collapse of the one hot meal for day students at some schools including Kesse Basahyia SHS at Forikrom in the Techiman Municipality due to non-payment of services rendered by the caterer as far back as September 2021.
To my good brother Hon. MCE for Atebubu Amantin Municipal Assembly, His Excellency John Mahama, the Presumptive Flag Bearer of the NDC is on point with his statement regarding poor meals being served to our future leaders. By the way, your women organizers and other NPP party Apparatchiks have laid down their cooking utensils and no feeding for our basic schools. Tell your super incompetent, corrupt and reckless government to pay them their arrears for them to continue the programme.
Waiting to see the culprits in court very soon. Thank you.
Signed
Suleman Mohammed-Mustapha
(Regional Communications Officer – Bono East)
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
