Investigations have uncovered irregularities in admissions and financial transactions at the Tepa Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Ashanti Region.
Luv News checks revealed, among others that there are shady deals in fuel administration by the management, which is draining the state of huge sums of money into private pockets.
Ministry of Health payment vouchers sighted by Luv News’ Erastus Asare Donkor showed that the Principal, Victoria Amoah, spent GHS29,150 as travel expenses for herself and her driver.
The figure excludes the cost of fuel for three official trips to Accra. A journey to Accra by Madam Amoah and her driver on January 5, 2016, to collect scratch cards for the institution cost GHS19,450 minus fuel.
On another payment voucher, expenses for similar day’s journey to Accra by the Principal on January 13, 2016, were quoted at GHS6,700 besides fuel.
Other visits captured featured GHS3,000 as personal expenses to Accra.
Fuel vouchers intercepted by Luv News also shows that Mrs Amoah and the College accountant Richard Asamoah together draw 240 gallons of fuel at the expense of the state every month from Star Oil Company.
This contradicts a document sighted in the course of investigations, which shows that the Principal is entitled to a monthly fuel allocation of 20 gallons; Vice-Principal takes seven gallons and five for the accountant.
Hundreds of fake receipts issued to cover a non-refundable interview and result verification fees paid by applicants between 2012 and 2016 were also discovered in the investigation.
Students of the College have been demanding answers for the whereabout of over GHS52,000 they paid as matriculation fees over five years.
According to them, though each student paid GHS50 between 2011 and 2015, they were never matriculated neither has their monies been refunded to them.
The College has been without a Board for three years and Mrs Amoah stands accused of unilateral decisions in admissions and allocations of resources in a manner concerned stakeholders say is not transparent.
Public interest advocate Dr Ernest Kwarko points to evidence of admission procedures fraught with bribery and other fraudulent deals.
He cited cases where prospective applicants who failed to make it to the interviews selection criteria managed to gain admission over more qualified applicants.
Also, a development of GHS170 supposed to be charged annually is slapped on the students twice a year with little to show for an institution, which lacks teaching and learning materials.
Dr Kwarko said he is disgusted this is going on in a state institution as the monies siphoned does not go into state coffers.
“I will challenge the Ghana Health Service and Health Ministries to do more inquiries into the matter. Indeed I will not recommend that they use current auditing procedure that goes on at the College.
“They should institute an independent inquiry from either the Ministry or Ghana Health Service,” he said.
According to sources, the Principal runs the college as a family business with no recourse to established rules.
She refused to speak to Luv News directly that they should contact former Board Chair and Omanhene Tepa Traditional Area, Nana Atwenewaa Ampem who will not deny or confirm the allegations against Mrs Amoah.