The Assistant Matron of Wovenu Senior High Technical School (WOSSETS), Madam Doris Foli, her sister, Ms. Perfect Foli, and Sergeant Bernard Amegbor are in Police custody for allegedly diverting food items meant for students of WOSSETS in the Ketu North Municipality.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Patrick Meli Atippoe, the Assembly Member for the Tadzewu Electoral Area, said he and the community members apprehended Ms Perfect Foli and Sergeant Amegbor of the of the Dzodze Police Headquarters, who was driving the vehicle, around 0630 hours on Wednesday at Tadzewu Zongo.
He said the suspects were arrested with assorted food items, including bags of rice, cooking oil, sardines, and other provisions reportedly meant for the feeding of students.
Mr Atippoe indicated that information about the alleged diversion of food items by the Assistant Matron had been circulating since last year, prompting discreet investigations by some residents.
He said after the arrest of Ms Perfect Foli and Sergeant Amegbor led to the residence of Madam Doris Foli, located a short distance away, where an additional quantity of the food items were allegedly retrieved.
The three suspects were subsequently handed over to the Dzodze Police for further investigations.
According to Mr Atippoe, the Headmaster of the school Mr Michael Kwami Dzeble had also received reports about the alleged diversion and had earlier cautioned the Assistant Matron.
Meanwhile, Rev. Martin Amenaki, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu North, confirmed the incident to GNA, stating that he had been reliably informed of the apprehension of the three individuals in connection with the alleged theft of food items belonging to the school.
He said upon receiving the information, he visited the Dzodze Police Station to acquaint himself with the situation and ensured that the due process was followed.
He said they were initially apprehended by vigilant community members while allegedly transporting assorted food items suspected to have been unlawfully taken from the school’s stores and were later handed over to the Police.
Preliminary reports, he noted, indicated that the items were being transported in a vehicle belonging to the Police Officer, who was reportedly driving at the time of the arrest.
The retrieved items included cartons of milk, mackerel, bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil (Frytol), and other provisions intended specifically for students’ feeding.
Rev Amenaki said the incident should serve as a strong warning to anyone who might seek to undermine government efforts to ensure that students are adequately fed and supported.
“Food supplies provided to our schools are meant exclusively for the welfare and nourishment of our students. Any attempt to divert, misappropriate, or abuse such resources is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he stressed.
He reaffirmed that the Ketu North Municipal Assembly and the Mahama Administration remained committed to safeguarding public resources and enforcing accountability at all levels.
The MCE disclosed that an intensified and vigilant task force, working in collaboration with school authorities and security personnel, would extend monitoring to other second-cycle institutions in the Municipality to detect and prevent any diversion of food items or other illegal activities on and off campus.