The Ministry of Education, Sports and Science is to investigate allegations of misuse of funds and overcharging of fees leveled against some officials of the Asuogyaman District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

The Ministry is also to investigate another allegation of diversion for personal use of a bus belonging to the Ajena Secondary Technical also in the same district.

A Deputy Minister of Education Sports and Science, Mr. Kwame Twumasi-Ampofo, said the investigations were to enable the ministry verify the allegations leveled against the officials by some contributors at the district's turn of the People's Assembly held at Atimpoku on Thursday.

The Deputy Minister was seen conferring with some officials of the GES in the district after the allegations were made and later announced that he was not satisfied with the explanations they offered him and decided to launch an investigation into the two incidents.

Mr. Twumasi-Ampofo wondered why some district directorates were still charging for examination fees when the ministry had procured duplicating machines for all districts for the conduct of examinations and described the practice, when proven as unacceptable.

He assured the people of Asuogyaman that results of both investigations could be ready in about a week to reassure the people that the forum was meant for quick problem-solving and not a mere talk shop.

A contributor had claimed that officials of Asuogyaman District Directorate of Education were charging parents ¢70,000 for the conduct of mock examinations despite a government directive that warned against such practices.

The contributor observed that the policy implemented by the directorate also breached rules governing the implementation on the Capitation Grant which was to take care of such recurrent expenditure by schools and demanded a refund.

In the case of the Ajena Secondary Technical School bus, the contributor had claimed that authorities of the school were using the bus for personal gains such as carting charcoal for sale at major markets in the district while students of the school, some of who resided in outlying towns were made to ply four kilometers in some instances each day to school.

Mr. Yaw Barimah said Ghanaians were taking the issue of freedom of speech beyond the point of respectability and assured the Paramount Chiefs of Boso Gua and Anum that, he would report the conduct of some public servants who erred in their dealings to their superiors for the necessary action.

On how the State could assist resolve the decade-long Akwamu chieftaincy impasse, Mr Barimah said it was now incumbent on the people to demand of the feuding parties a cessation of hostilities to enable a lasting resolution to the conflict.

He said efforts he had personally expended so far in seeing an amicable resolution of the conflict had failed.

Nana Osei Nyarko and Nana Appiah Kumi, Paramount Chiefs of Boso Gua and Anum respectively, had expressed indignation at the behaviour of some officials of Electricity Company at Kpeve leading to the disconnection of power to the Bosu Gua palace in flagrant disregard of a State directive that palaces serving paramountcies were to be exempted from electricity bills.

Source GNA