Death Of KNUST SHS Student: Ministry Of Education, GES Visit Family

The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service has paid a private visit to the family of the KNUST SHS final year Business student, Richard Sam, who passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at the Manhyia Government Hospital.

The visit which took place on Thursday, July 15, 2020, at the family home at Ahenema Kokoben New Site was led by the Deputy Minister for Education, Hon. Gifty Twum-Ampofo, who represented the Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.

She was accompanied by the Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access of the GES, Dr. Kwabena Bempah Tandoh who represented his Director-General, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa.

Also part of the delegation was the Financial Controller for the GES, Reverend Dr. Christian Koramah, the Regional Director of Education Mary Owusu Achiaw and the Ashanti Regional Secretary of GNAT Mr. Boateng.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry and Government, Hon. Twum-Ampofo expressed the deepest condolences of the Ministry and the Government to the bereaved family and consoled them for their loss.

She extended to the family the sympathy of Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the entire Education Ministry.

“On behalf of the Government, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who had wished to be here himself, and the entire Education Ministry, we express our heartfelt and deepest condolences for the loss of your beloved son. It is very sad to lose such a brilliant student at this crucial time,” she consoles the family.

On behalf of the entire management and staff of the GES, Dr. Tandoh also expressed the sincere sympathies to the family.

“The Director-General will work to ensure that an investigation into the death of your son is fully conducted,” he assured the family.

On the part of the family, they thanked the government delegation and expressed their assurance that they will work closely with the authorities to bring closure to their loss.

Before the departure of the delegation, there was a separate private meeting between the father, mother, and the delegation where heartfelt conversations took place allowing the parents of the late student to confer with the Deputy Minister and her team.

The delegation promised to visit again and the family also promised to keep the ministry and GES informed of their plans about the deceased burial rites.

It will be recalled that on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, Leonard Sam, an ulcer patient, died after suffering from stomach pain for more than three hours without being given any medical attention at the school campus.

The victim’s colleague students, who attended to him until his father arrived on campus to convey him to a health facility where he later died, said the school authorities left the patient to his fate despite reeling under intense pain with vomiting bouts.

---OtecfmGhana