Several senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region are grappling with a severe financial crisis after their accounts with the Bank of Ghana were reportedly emptied. This alarming situation has left schools unable to purchase essential supplies, including food for students, causing widespread concern among administrators and the wider educational community.
The situation was brought to light by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS). In an interview with JoyNews, CHASS President Rev. Fr. Stephen Owusu Sekyere shared how the crisis unfolded and its grave implications for the affected schools.
Rev. Fr. Owusu Sekyere explained that the Greater Accra Regional Chairman initially informed him of the issue. Upon further investigation, he contacted the Deputy Director-General and the Financial Controller of the Ghana Education Service (GES), both of whom confirmed the disturbing reports. The Director of Finance at the Ministry of Finance also verified that the affected schools’ accounts with the Bank of Ghana had been completely depleted.
This financial crisis comes on the heels of a nationwide food shortage crisis that many senior high schools faced in January 2025. To address this pressing issue, the government released approximately GHS200 million in emergency funds to help schools procure food supplies. However, despite the release of these funds, many schools have been unable to settle their outstanding debts with food suppliers due to the emptied accounts.
Rev. Fr. Owusu Sekyere highlighted that cheques issued to suppliers have been bouncing due to insufficient funds in the accounts. “I’m not sure exactly how much money has been withdrawn from the accounts, but the funds disbursed by the government to address food shortages should be available in these school accounts. These funds were specifically allocated for procuring food items, and schools are expected to use them to pay suppliers. However, with no money in the accounts, issued cheques are bouncing, leaving the schools unable to fulfill their financial obligations,” he explained.
This dire situation could severely disrupt the daily operations of the affected schools, potentially leading to food shortages, delays in administrative functions, and other operational difficulties that would negatively impact students’ academic experiences.
Rev. Fr. Owusu Sekyere has called on the Ghana Education Service and the Bank of Ghana to urgently intervene and restore the missing funds to the affected school accounts. He stressed that the immediate restoration of the funds is crucial to prevent further disruptions and ensure the smooth running of the affected schools.
As the situation unfolds, the future of these schools remains uncertain, and the educational community is watching closely to see how the government and relevant authorities will address this pressing issue. With school operations under threat, the need for prompt action has never been more urgent.
Join our WHATSAPP CHANNEL, WHATSAPP GROUP 1, WHATSAPP GROUP 2 and TELEGRAM CHANNEL to get all relevant teaching resources to make your lessons effective.
Subscribe to this blog and follow us on facebook
