The Keta Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Volta Region gets a new Principal to stir the administrative affairs of the school.
This follows an intensive protest by members of the Association of Concerned Teaching and Non-teaching Staff and Students in the school to see the removal of the retired Ms. Aheto Rejoice over issues of her continuous stay in office.
The call for her removal from the office got the support of the Chief of Keta Togbi James Ocloo V, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Emmanuel Gemegah, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta Constituency Dzidzorli Gakpey, and some residents of Keta.
The spokesperson of the concerned staff Mr. Sekyi Apraku disclosed to Sandcityradioonline.com that “over the years, the school has seen smooth transitions of administrative processes when time is due for principals to go on mandatory retirement, but Ms. Rejoice Ahetoh has refused to leave office. She is only there and mismanaging the college’s resources”.
Mr. Apraku further explained that “Ms. Rejoice Aheto was the Vice Principal of the college and was appointed as substantive principal after compulsory retirement of Ms. Charity Kartey in 2017/2018 academic year. Immediately after she took over she brought disunity among the staff. She is noted for favoritism, nepotism, intimidation, and victimization”.
One of the conveners Mr. Kenneth Doudu reiterated that “since Ms. Rejoice Aheto took over office, she tried to appoint a male junior health tutor who is her favorite to become her vice principal over the current one who is more qualified”.
He also indicated that Ms. Rejoice Aheto allegedly bribed her way through to be appointed as the principal and since then, she does not engage her vice principal in administrative roles.
Some tutors also allege that Ms. Rejoice Aheto demotivates and demoralizes staff members, adding that during her tenure, there was zero infrastructural development in the college. They also revealed that she mismanages the school’s financial resources, breaches the procurement law, overbills students in terms of school fees, and has no respect for the traditional authorities and relevant stakeholders in the municipality.
Some students also bemoaned that for the past four years, Ms. Rejoice Aheto has overbilled them against the approved fees set by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
“She overbilled our practical assessment fees every semester for the past four years but she never organized a single practical assessment for us. When our Student Representative Council executives met her on this, she couldn’t account for such funds. Since we now have a new principal, we want the ministry to audit and refund us”. The students appealed to MoH.
Despite this, Ms. Aheto denied the accusations, stating that she had never been accused of misappropriation or poor management while in office.
She explained that following the prior audit of the college’s expenditures, the auditors would have appointed out her shortcomings.
After a series of protests which ignited the MoH to act accordingly, Ms. Aheto vacated her position as principal and handed it over to Mabel Kafui Kutor to continue running the affairs of the college as the new Principal.
Ms. Kutor after assuming office as the new principal pledged her commitment to see to the successful administration of the college. She urged all the staff members to support her to uplift the college to higher heights.
She also entreated the students to learn hard for the upcoming exams so that they can excel.
However, the Nursing and Midwifery Training College was established on 13th November 2006 with 55 students comprising seventeen (17) males and thirty-eight (38) females. Over the years, the student population increased from 55 in 2006 to 850 this year.
The college has also been adjudged the best in the country for its excellent performances in terms of academics over the years.
Story By Kekeli Blamey|| Sandcity Radio Ghana
