I wasn’t paid a pesewa for services on Free SHS Committee – Salamat

Mathew Opoku Prempeh inaugurated a committee to advise and lead the implementation

The former headmaster of the La Presbyterian Senior High School, Samuel Salamat, who claims to have been unfairly transferred, has said he worked for free while serving on a committee whose work led to the implementation of the free Senior High school programme.

Prior to the implementation of the free SHS policy, government set up a 22-member committee in March 2017, to make recommendations on the way forward for the programme.

“I have done a lot of work for the Ministry of Education, I haven’t taken a pesewa, they are aware. This free SHS [policy] I was on two committees – I attended all the meetings and made valuable contributions, but I did not take a pesewa and I will not take a pesewa. But anyway I will take it like that,” he said.

Mr. Salamat made this revelation following his transfer which he considers unfair.

He was transferred from LA Presec as Headmater for making an appeal to parents of beneficiaries of the free SHS policy to pay GHc80 for the procurement of plastic chairs for their wards since the school lacked such facilities.

But his action incurred the wrath of the government, because the move was allegedly seen as a sabotage of the policy.

Speaking for the first time after his transfer on the Citi Breakfast Show today (Thursday), Mr. Salamat said his transfer was unfortunate because government did not seek his side of the story in spite of his relationship with them.

“It is unfortunate that in spite of the relationship I have with the Ministry of Education, they could not invite me and find my side of the story. I feel very hurt, very hurt.”

Mr. Salamat also believes his transfer was engineered by his haters who are occupying some vantage positions in government.

“I believe that somebody over there is using the official means to settle a score with me and the person can go on. The person knows himself or herself. The person can go on because I am very surprised about the turn of events,” he added.

Citi News gathered that Mr. Salamat, was transferred to the Curriculum Research of Development Division (CRDD) at the Headquarters of the Ghana Education Service (G.E.S) in Accra from La PRESEC last week.

Initial reports said the transfer was because he had opened up to the media about the challenges of the school.

However, the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, said that the transfer was because he charged parents “illegal fees” contrary to government’s instruction.

“If you are charging fees you want parents to pay, of course not, it’s not approved. We’ve given you resources and you have development levy which is contributions that were supposed to be made by parents. If you need anything, you can use part of the development levy to do that. Why do you have to go to the parents and ask them to pay something that the government has already paid? Nobody condones any behaviour or whatsoever that will punish any headmaster for talking to the media,” he added.

Source: citifmonline.com