Students of Krobea Asante Technical and Vocational Institute in the Ashanti Region of Ghana will be surcharged for damage caused to property before they return to school.
Hon Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, before the announcement of a five-member investigating committee revealed that, the government cannot take up the cost of the damaged property.
“Whatever the students have destroyed, they have to pay for them because I believe in fairness.”
Mr Osei Mensah
The Regional Minister noted that, cause and cost of the vandalism will be established by the five-member investigating committee.
Six vehicles and other school property, including new building projects, were vandalized by rampaging students who were allegedly protesting poor examination performance on Sunday, January 22.
The students, started their destruction by cutting the main power source of the school and further marched to the apartment of the senior housemistress, hurled stones at the building and destroyed a Toyota Vitz car parked in front of the apartment.
The Principal’s bungalow was the prime target, but an attempt for forceful entry was unsuccessful. A government-owned Isuzu pickup truck parked at the premises was destroyed.
The student proceeded to the main administrative block and destroyed the school’s Mahindra pickup truck, a Nissan Patrol vehicle and the school’s bus.
The students, also marched to the teachers’ quarters and forced-open the main gate, but the police prevented the students from entering the rooms of the teachers.
The school’s store was also invaded by the students, resulting in the destruction of food items and other supplies.
Some 40 Students Arrested
Meanwhile, Forty students have been arrested for the rampage and are still in police custody as invitation has been extended to the student leadership.
All forty students have given their caution statements to the police.
Mr William Brako Adjepong, the Sekyere East District Director of Education, disclosed that preliminary investigations have established three reasons for the rioting last Sunday.
“All the reasons we have are speculations. One of them is poor results of their predecessors. The school has also come out with a policy that prepping should not be done together. The Boys are separated from the ladies and it has since not gone down well with the students, because they want to have it together.
“Where they do their ironing, they said there are not enough sockets but you know these students they are not supposed to go to school with their mobile phones but most of them have phones in school, so they dont have access to enough sockets to charge their phones.”
Mr Brako
Hon Simon Osei Mensah further stated that all the arrests made will be duly investigated and prosecuted.
“Their fate will be determined by the investigation being done by the police. They will screen them and those who will be found culpable will be dealt with by law.”
Hon Osei Mensah
At the moment, it still remains unclear when the school will be reopened.
According to the management of the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service, the decision to close down the school was upon the advice of the Sekyere East District Security Council and the Ashanti Regional Security Council.
A statement signed by the Director-General of the Ghana TVET, Mawusi Nudekor Awity, stated that “The Security Services will be on hand to evacuate all the students to protect lives and properties.”
The Management of the TVET also assured parents that it “will keep them informed on any development.”
READ ALSO: 26 Ambulances Bought for $4m By MOH Yet To Be Supplied – Auditor-General’s Report
