Tribalism At School of Languages

Chronicle sources close to the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) have hinted that paramount of the issues being investigated about the Director of the Institute, Sebastian K. Bemile is the allegation of tribalism leveled against him.

Following numerous petitions tabled by his own staff to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the school's board chairman calling for his interdiction, the NCTE stepped in to investigate.

The paper has in its possession, copies of the numerous petitions to both the school's board chairman and the SFO, in which Dr Bemile is alleged to have filled key staff positions with his tribesmen, which most of the staff and some students of the institute see as a deliberate attempt to cover his 'illegal deals', considering the key positions they occupy.

At the accounts department for instance, one E.A Tagan, a Dagarti is said to be the Accountant with Stephen Cato, another Dagarti as the officer in charge of preparation of vouchers and claims for allowances.

The officer in charge of the Transbureau and Translation, Magdalene Kuniati is also a Dagarti, same as C.L Vuol, the Estate manager in charge of rent, house maintenance and execution of projects.

Amounts of money paid for contracts as stated in the petition to the board, suggest an internal inflation.

The purchasing clerk, Amass Puolere and his assistant Fransisca Ninkpe are all Dagartis.

The Public Relations Officer, also a Dagarti, is quoted in the petition as one who "incurs a lot of debt for the school as it was in the case of the GIL beauty contest last year" which is said to have been hushed up.

Yvonne Chaba, the storekeeper is also a Dagarti as well as Michael Doggu, the research officer.

Information has it that Doggu's employment as a research officer by the director was a sinecure since he has virtually no qualification in language, which is a prerequisite to enable him work on language related issues.

As part of his said 'Dagarticization'policy apparently, to strengthen his grip on the institute's finances, the director is reported also to have recruited two more young "countrymen" of his into the accounts office.

In one instance, Stephen Cato, the accounts clerk is alleged to have stolen a motorbike with registration number GV 18 R in the year 2000 at the Kumasi branch of the institute.

This case was reported to the Asokwa police, and after thorough investigations by the Auditor General's department, which found him wanting, it was recommended that Cato pay the cost involved.

Meanwhile, insiders have hinted the paper that records on the motorbike have been obliterated.

Doubts have also been raised about the award of a scholarship to one Laconiba A. Dery under circumstances insiders believe to be dubious.

Dery had not finished serving his mandatory term of three years before being given the said scholarship to study abroad.

The scholarship was originally for MA Translation and its terms were explicit on his inability to change the specific course to pursue a course in MA. TESOL.

Instead of serving his bond on his return, the director is said to be making frantic efforts to circumvent the rules to enable him secure another scholarship to pursue a Ph.D programme.