Students of Mawuli Senior High School are yet to benefit from the free sets of metal bunk beds and bales of mattresses provided by government as school authorities have been allegedly renting them out to the public.
Government in 2012 built a girls dormitory for the school to accommodate the increasing number of enrollment in the school.
As part of the intervention, metal bunk beds and mattresses through funding from GET Fund, were provided to stock the dormitory and to cushion parents from the cost purchasing such items.
However checks by Citi News in the school, saw the bunk beds parked under an open shade at the mercy of the weather with some gradually rusting.
The mattresses on the other hand, were parked in the old library of the school, not being used by students, but instead rented out to event organizers that need them to accommodate their guests.
Citi News’ investigations revealed that each mattress is hired for GHC1.20 per day.
Bereaved families turn to these mattresses to host their sympathizers during funerals, with churches and other organizations also benefiting from them.
It is however unclear how monies made from such dealings are accounted for.
A teacher who spoke to Citi News on grounds of anonymity, said, “there is a lot happening in Mawuli School that government must intervene in. Last week for instance, buses were brought in to pack the mattresses away. During the last vacation mattresses were rented out to Global Church at a cost of GHc 3,000. Almost every weekend people come to pick the mattresses away.”
It would be recalled that the school was recently invaded by bedbugs which destroyed mattresses owned by students.
Interestingly, authorities rather insisted the continuing students buy new mattresses to replace the infected ones. This according to some parents who spoke to Citi News, have put extra burden on them.
“We are aware of the mattresses in the school but we didn’t know it was meant for us. Last term we were asked to buy new mattresses covered with leather because of the bedbugs. We bought it at a cost of GHc 160,” a student told Citi News.
Attempts by Citi News to get the school management respond to the issue were not successful, as the school authorities directed Citi News to the Regional Education Director, Mawusi Buadi.
The Regional Director in response expressed shock over the development; but said he would conduct further investigations into the matter.
He explained that, although the school authorities might have their reasons for hoarding the mattresses, it would not be appropriate for them to divert them for other purposes.
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By: King Nobert Akpablie-Nobert/citifmonline.com/Ghana