The Krobea Asante Technical Vocational Institute has been closed down on the orders of the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service following rioting by students which caused property damage.
All students have since left the school for their various homes.
Consequently, the Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Simon Osei-Mensah, has announced that a five-member committee would be set up to unravel the circumstances that led to the demonstration at the institute last Sunday.
Speaking to the media after touring the school to assess the level of damage caused by the rioting students, the Regional Minister directed all the school prefects of the Krobea Asante Technical Vocational Institute to report themselves to the police or be declared wanted.
He also asked the parents of the prefects to ensure that their children reported themselves to the police to assist in investigations or be arrested.
According to him, the prefects would not have run away from the school if they did not know about the incident.
Mr Osei-Mensah, who is also the Ashanti Regional Minister, said there was a need for the police to know the role of the prefects in last Sunday’s demonstration that led to the destruction of school property, worth millions of Ghana cedis.
The Regional Minister expressed surprise at the level of damage caused and said that the level of impunity could not be tolerated.
The students vandalised school property, including vehicles belonging to the school and teachers, food items meant to feed them, educational materials and school infrastructure.
While it is alleged that the student’s action was to vent their anger on the management of the school for the poor performance of their predecessors in the 2022 end-of-year examination, the District Directorate of Education said there had not been any official communication to the district on the performance of the students.
The Regional Minister’s order followed a crunch meeting with the management of the school, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the development.
More than 40 students have been arrested by the police and are currently in police custody assisting in investigations.
They will be screened and those involved in the disturbances will be processed for court.
It is believed that some of the old students who instigated the attack on the school were part of the demonstration.
The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer, Mark Ofori, told the Daily Graphic that the causes of the demonstrations were yet to be determined.
“Investigations are ongoing and the details on the causes and their related issues will be communicated to all stakeholders when done,” he said.
The school was established in 1996 by the Asokorehene, Nana Dr S. K. B. Asante, to provide technical and vocational training to the people of Asokore and its environs.
Some of the courses offered at the school include wood and building technology, engineering technology, fashion technology, and hospitality and catering management.
