FRAUD *At Nzema East GES *Director, fake finance officer cited

Information gathered by Today points to massive 'chop-chop' (to wit fraud) at the offices of the Nzema East Education Directorate in the Western Region as some mafia-like groups are using their portfolios to extort money from the meagre back pay of teachers.

The alleged extortion, Today gathers, is jointly master-minded by a typist, who has now been illegally confirmed by his authorities to operate as a finance officer, apparently due to his cunning ability at swindling teachers, especially those newly-appointed by the Ghana Education Service (GES,) of their pay and other entitlements due them.

The said typist, according to sources, has neither a financial background nor ever studied finance, but has been imposed on the system by the Nzema East Education Director, Madam Mariam Quansah, to operate to serve her interest, thereby rendering redundant the actual technocrat for the job at the directorate.

Some of the victims of this fraud, who pleaded anonymity, accused the two, Madam Mariam Quansah, and her confidant, Mr Vincent Okoe, of making wrongful deductions from their back pays.

This was after a recent misunderstanding between one of the newly-appointed teachers and the fraud of a finance officer, who is widely known by staff and teachers in the Nzema East education circle for his nefarious activities, over an attempt to deduct an unreasonable amount from the victim's back pay, dating as far back as 2010.

According to the victim, the unofficial finance officer, Mr Okoe, alleged that the deduction was made as a statement of appreciation for their (director's and his) efforts in processing the documents for the payment of the back pay at the office of the Controller and Account-General's Department.

“You have no power to stop us from taking what is due us,” Mr Okoe is reported to have said to one of the teachers.

When Today contacted him, Mr Okoe refused to comment, saying he is not the right authority to address the issue.

On her part, the District Director, Ms Mariam Quansah, confirmed the existence of her accomplice, Mr Okoe, as the officer in charge of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Database (IPPD), adding that he [Mr Okoe] deals with the processing of the new staff members of the GES unto the payroll system.

She mentioned that all the allegations against her was due to sheer envy by her detractors and urged all to treat the rumour with a pinch of salt.

She also remarked that the matter has already been reported to her attorneys for a legal advice aimed at fishing out those who were perpetrating her downfall.

When quizzed further by this reporter about her alleged involvement in the extortion case, the livid director yelled, “I know who you are,” and angrily hanged up.

According to sources, the fraud has been going on since Madam Quansah assumed office as District Director. “If it is allowed to continue, it would not auger well for the education system here,” one of the victims stated.

Speaking to this reporter, some staff of the district education office confirmed the allegation of fraud stressing that all is not well, and called on authorities at the helm of affairs at the GES to immediately intervene to avert a catastrophe.

The staff also accused the director of hijacking the responsibilities of other members of staff of the office and handing it to incompetent individuals to handle such duties.

“In fact the finance officer has been stopped from working on our pay slips by the director, while a common typist who has no idea about finance and is not a professional is doing that job,” one of the staff told Today.

“We were shocked when Mr Okoe was directed to operate as the finance officer and now goes to Accra to check on our pay slips and process the salaries of teachers. [Now he sometimes] blocks the salaries of some members of staff whom, he claims, are not in good terms with him,” stressed sources at the GES.

He has even been cited for orchestrating the transfer of some members of staff who always stood their ground against these illegal acts.

The agitated staff of the district education office and teachers in the district are therefore calling on the Minister for Education and the Director-General of the GES to – as a matter of urgency – call Madam Quansah and Mr Okoe to order to ensure those properly responsible for the finance department are empowered to do their work without fear or favour.