Headmaster of Dzodze Penyi Senior High School in the Ketu North Municipal, Volta Region, has been accused by a teacher for theft of certificates and impersonation.
The Headmaster, who is known as Mr Adiabo Koffi – also known as Prince Kofi Adiabo, is being accused for using the names Edward Allan Agbeti and Edward Agbeti, plus certificates of the complainant for unauthorised use.
In a petition to the CID Headquarters, the complainant, known officially as Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti, is urging the Police to investigate Mr. Adiabo Koffi.
In a declaration made in court, attached to the petition, Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti narrated that Mr. Adiabo Koffi was a pupil’s teacher with an advanced Level (“A” Level) certificate and taught at Mafi Avedo EP Primary between 2000 – 2005 and left to a different school.
The two made an acquaintance as Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti was a teacher at Wokumagbe D/C primary. The complainant acknowledges that they were both in touch for a period until they parted ways years ago.
According to the accounts given by Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti, Mr. Adiabo Koffi one time approached him to apply for a job as an assistant manager of a company, TOUGU FRUIT, a pineapple fruit producing company.
Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti claimed he applied for the job and attached all relevant certificates to the application.
However, Mr. Adiabo Koffi ‘fraudulently’ had access to the certificates and obtained some of the certificates from the company without the knowledge of
Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti was not aware of this until recently when the Custodian Newspaper published a story about the ‘Agave Chief Accused Of Impersonation’
Our team’s private investigations into the accusations revealed that Mr. Adiabo Koffi has used the names Edward Allan Agbeti and Edward Agbeti to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund.
Preliminary Checks
Some documents from Tokor Junior High School (from 2006 to 2009), where Mr. Adiabo Koffi worked at showed he maintained the name Adiabo Koffi and had Social Security Number D107309140019, with a staff ID No:534227J.
However, the earliest our findings noticed a change in name for Mr. Adiabo Koffi to Edward Agbeti (a.k.a Edward Allan Agebti) was in 2017, in a letter (Ref. No GES/HQ/INT/DD/17/01) from the Ghana Education Service (GES) promoting Mr. Adiabo Koffi to the grade of Deputy Director.
In another letter (Ref No. GES/VR/VST/T.S.96/3) cited from Vakpo Senior High Technical School captures the name Edward Agbeti, then Assistant Headmaster with Staff ID: 218257 and REG 2996/98.
The Teacher’s Registration Number REG 2996/98 as cited on documents belonging to Mr Edward Agbeti (a.k.a Adiabo Koffi), then Assistant Headmaster of Vakpo Senior High Technical School is the exact Teacher’s Registration Number found on the certificate of the complainant, Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti – obtained from Ada Teacher Training College, certified by the University of Cape Coast.
Documents cited from the Controller and Accountant General also show that Mr. Adiabo Koffi (a.k.a Edward Agbeti) is using the same staff ID as that of Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti, Staff ID: 218257, GOV 485287S.
It is worth noting that after the switch in names from Mr. Adiabo Koffi to Edward Allan Agbeti, a payslip showing payment of salaries in the month of March, 2018 shows that there has been a change in Social Security Number from D107309140019 before 2009 to D207709140019 after 2017.
National Teaching Council (NTC) Regulations
The National Teacher Council (NTC) was established in 2020 under the Education Regulatory Bodies (Act 1023), under clause 59. ‘The object of the Council is to regulate the teaching profession’.
Per the Act, under Clause 67. (1) ‘a person shall not practise as a teacher unless the person is registered as a teacher in accordance with this Act’.
Checks from the National Teaching Council do not show details of Mr. Edward Allan Agbeti of Dzodze-Penyi Senior High School. Which is an indication that he has not been duly registered to practice as teacher or be employed with the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Yet that of Edward Allan Agbeti is present with licensure number PT/002718/1998 – as recorded on the National Teacher Council (NTC) portal.
The Act further stipulates that ‘a person shall not knowingly or negligently employ a person as a teacher in an institution unless the teacher is registered under this Act. (79. I).
(2) ‘a person who contravenes subsection (l) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than five hundred penalty units and not more than one thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than one year, or to both’.
In this case GES should not be extending the contract of the Dzodze-Penyi Headmaster, Adiabo Koffi (a.k.a Edward Agbeti).
Interestingly, the Act gives a leeway for certain conditions under which a person can be employed if they are unregistered teachers.
The condition remains that such a person is given a grace period to acquire the right documents and licence:
‘where a person employed under subsection (I) fails to register and obtain a licence within three years, the Board shall withdraw the authorisation until such a time that the person obtains a licence to teach’ clause 80(4).
Under the Act it is an offence under clause 82. (a) when a person purports to be a teacher without the certification of the Council;
(b) a person makes a false declaration in an application for registration;
Our findings thus far suggest that the Headmaster of Dzodze-Penyi Senior High School can not continue to hold office nor continue to work with GES under the current Education Regulatory Bodies Act (2020).
It has been more than five years since the introduction of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act (2020) and the three years grace period has elapsed for any one who has been with GES before the introduction of the Act to get their documentation set for their licensure.
Investigations
This case became public after some elders in the Agave Traditional Area petitioned the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Volta Regional House Of Chiefs to investigate Mr. Koffi Adiabo, who was ‘fraudulently’ using the name Edward Allan Agbeti.
These petitions have received little to no attention, especially from the Ghana Education Service (GES).
On 7th October, 2024 a circuit court in Sogakope issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr. Prince Kofi Adiabo, also known as Edward Allan Agbeti, and Edward Agbeti. But he refused to show up.
A writ of summons was issued on 16th October, 2024 by a High Court in Sogakope and Mr. Adiabo Koffi did not show up.
Days after the issuance of the warrant, the Regional Office of the Attorney-General demanded for the docket on the case regarding that of Mr. Adiabo Koffi’s impersonation case (P. W.M DTO: 281300/10/2024).
It was later revealed that the docket was requested based on a petition from the camp of Mr. Koffi Adiabo – Agave Traditional Council .
The petition from the office of the Traditional Council accused the Police of meddling in Chieftaincy matters, an attempt which deliberately seeks to instill fear in the police and to deflect accountability.
However the main complainants, who are elders and opinion leaders of the Agave Traditional Area, Togbe Avave Awuye Kpobi, Mr. Joseph Akakpo Awuye, Mr David Mensah Awuye Kpobi, Mr Ernest Awuye Kpobi believe Mr. Adiabo Koffi is using this to evade prosecution.
All attempts to get the accused to speak on the matter have been futile. Once, Mr. Adiabo Koffi refused to speak on the matter because he claimed the case was in court and that he couldn’t speak on it.
Another attempt to speak to him failed. Later another person called on behalf of Mr. Adiabo Koffi (also known as Prince Kofi Adiabo, Edward Agbeti, and Edward Allan Agbeti) by the name Michael Owusu, claiming he was a BNI officer in the Volta Region, warning our reporter not to make any publication on the matter.
By Selasi Aklotsoe Mensah
More on this story to follow.
Disclaimer: The content does not reflect the views of the newspaper but that of the writer.
