Proprietor issues fake index numbers to BECE candidates

The proprietor of the Redemption School Complex Junior High School (JHS), a private basic school in Ofaadaa, near Awutu Bawjiase in the Central Region, Mr Afranie Mensah, provided fake index numbers to 34 candidates he failed to register in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).

The proprietor, after charging each pupil GH¢190, failed to register the candidates due to his inability to pay a penalty of GH¢50 for each student for missing the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC’s) registration deadline.

Subsequently, he went ahead to provide fake index numbers to the candidates to create an illusion that they had been duly registered.

The pupils reported at the examination centre at the Bawjiase Senior High School only to find out to their surprise that the index numbers they had could not match any in the examination centre.

When the pupils confronted Mr Mensah, he assured them that they would write the exams and that he would ensure that the issue was resolved.

Read also: JHS proprietor to appear before court for failing to register BECE candidates

Call for arrest

The issue came to light last Tuesday when the Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya West, Mr George Andah, toured some examination centres in the Awutu Senya District.

In an interview, Mr Andah called on parents of the affected students to take immediate steps to ensure that the proprietor was arrested for a criminal act.

According to him, the action of the proprietor was fraudulent since he was aware that the candidates had been provided with fake index numbers which would make it impossible for them to take part in the examinations.

The MP also called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take Mr Mensah to task by investigating him and exact the appropriate disciplinary actions.

He assured the parents of the affected pupils of his preparedness to support them to sit for the BECE as private candidates.

Mr Andah, who is also a deputy Minister of Communications, used the visit to admonish the candidates to be confident and make the district proud by securing excellent results that would enable them to gain admission into their preferred senior high schools (SHSs) so as to benefit from the free SHS policy.

GES Director

The Awutu Senya District Director of the GES, Mr Godwin Kwasi Acquah-Arhin, for his part, indicated that his outfit would invite the proprietor for questioning and if found out that he faked the index numbers, he would be dealt with accordingly.

He said Mr Mensah accompanied the candidates to the centre last Monday in order to plead with officers to consider them as irregular students and allow them to write the exams but he was unsuccessful.

Similar occurrence

Last Tuesday, the Daily Graphic reported the arrest of the proprietor of the Prince of Peace Academy Junior High School (JHS), a private basic school in Tamale, for allegedly failing to register 75 students in the ongoing BECE.

He is alleged to have taken money from the students but failed to register them to take part in the examination.

He was picked up by the police after it emerged that 75 students of the school had been denied entry to the examination hall to take part in this year’s BECE which began nationwide last Monday.