Education Minister Sits On Bribery, Sexual Harassment Petition

…Since 2021, Pregnant Woman, NSS Personnel, Others Ready To Testify

The Anchor has intercepted a damning petition, addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, accusing Mr. Francis Asumadu, the Director-General (D-G) of the Complementary Education Unit, formerly known as the Non-Formal Education Unit,of several misconducts and abuse of power.

The petition, dated March 27, 2021, by some staff of the unit, levels several accusations against the director-general, covering sexual harassment, such as the showing of his manhood and masturbation, bribery, witch-hunting, misappropriation of funds, unjustified transfers and victimization, among others.

According to the petition, “What broke the camel’s back was when a staff who is a married woman and was pregnant chanced upon the National Acting Director masturbating and watching porn at the office. He asked the lady to hold his manhood till he ejaculates. The lady in question refused and run to his secretariat with the Director following her with his pants half down. The lady has since then been terrified. This is an open secret at the Headquarters and the lady is ready to testify since her husband is aware of the incidence.”

It further pointed out that, surprisingly, the alleged victims, including the pregnant woman and national service personnel, have been waiting endlessly to testify with unimpeachable evidence, but it appears their only hope to get justice, which is the minister, is not interested.

The petitioners, who have indicated their willingness to speak publicly on the matter, said they have provided their details, including their phone contacts, in the petition, all in attempt to give account of their ordeals, but were never called.

The peeved staff, who said their boss has been acting in this manner, with alleged active connivance with some regional coordinators, called for a proper auditing of the Complementary Education Unit, across the country, especially the headquarters in Accra.

They also pleaded with Dr.Adutwum to launch investigation into all the transfers made under Director-General Asumadu.

“Honourable Minister, we are convinced that our transfers were based on pure witch-hunting and victimization and with much malice because some of us are seen as threats or has not yielded to his sexual exploits or flirty comments which there are much evidence on people’s phones and some recorded conversations.

“There is a hidden agenda for the transfer and we humbly appeal to your good office to reverse all transfers and investigate the director in all forms to save the image and future plans of this divisions,” excerpts of the petition stated.

According to the petitioners, “Some important organizations were not copied, for example the Head of Civil Service and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department because of their intentions. We will be happy if proper auditing is done in the division across the country but especially the headquarters.”

One of the transfer letters sighted by The Anchor, dated March 19, 2021, addressed to one Samuel Quarcoopome, from the headquarters, reads in parts, “In strengthening the capacity of some districts to enhance delivery, you have been transferred from Headquarters to the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly of the Division. The transfer takes effect from Tuesday 6th April, 2021 and you will be reporting to the Municipal Coordinator.

But two years after the petition was sent to the minister, no action has been taken,and instead Mr.Asumadu, who, at the time of submitting the petition, was acting, has been confirmed as the substantive Director-General under Dr. Adutwum.”

Bribery

According to the petition, the D-G, together with some regional officers who the petition refers to as “allies,” collected bribes to ensure their promotions.

“We were also hinted that Mr. Francis Asumadu did some promotion of secretaries, ’which you either pay with cash or in kind.’ It is an open secret across the division in the country,” the petitioners stated.

The Anchor gathered from the petition that, under Matthew Opoku Prempeh, at a time Dr. Adutwum was a deputy, “Mr. Francis Asumadu was asked by the immediate past Minister of Education to step aside for reasons mentioned above.”

It said, “He had connived with some Regional Coordinators to collect money for him to facilitate their promotions. He stepped aside for over six (6) months and collected salary for staying home all this while.”

“He returned after some people we hear begged on his behalf. Unfortunately, he was not taken on for crimes alleged against him. He only took over office again with the intention to victimize all those who he claimed were happy when he was asked to step aside,” the petition stated.

According to the petitioners, Mr.Asumadu was using his privileged position to unjustifiably transfer staff who refused to kowtow to his whims and caprices, including sexual demands.

“There have been some transfers which are based on witch-hunting, malice and personal sentiments from our Acting National Director, Mr. Francis Asumadu, since he took office. It has been all about sexual exploits which National Service Personnel are mostly victims and they are ready to speak out with evidence.

It has been about financial mismanagement for personal gains, victimization if you do not yield to his sexual exploits or do not fall into his good books. This is evidential enough if you interrogate most people at the Headquarters,” the petition said.

It further said some of these transfers which were done in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in salary challenges at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, which cautioned against the unnecessary transfers.

“A lot of the transfer done over a year now came with salary issues because the division has not been able to transfer their salaries. The victims end up losing their salaries because of salary validation issues which the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department has warned against vehemently. We see transfer in the mist of the covid-19 pandemic outrageous and a mere source of punishment.”

The petition alleged that Mr.Asumadu did not only misconduct himself when it comes to office hours, but went as far as bringing women into his office, ostensibly to engage in sexual escapes during weekends. It said, this act is known by security men around the headquarters who can also testify.

“The National Director brings ladies to the office during the weekends for sexual exploits which by a tactful interrogation of security men even in other adjoining offices around will testify to if assured of no form of victimization.”

Mr.Asumadu is alleged to have become so emboldened that, he does not hide these acts the staff complained about anymore.

More To Come…

Source: Anchorghana.com