A growing controversy is shaking Ghana’s education sector as the Agogo Traditional Council, led by the Queenmother, Nana Afrakomah Serwaa Kusi Oboadum, has strongly opposed the reported reinstatement of four interdicted staff of the Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education in the Ashanti Region.

In a firm statement, the Queenmother warned the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and its Director-General, Prof Ahmed Jinapor, against any attempt to bring the affected individuals back to the college, located on Agogo stool lands.

“This land will not accommodate thieves,” she declared, sending a blunt and uncompromising message. According to the Council, the college is a mission institution rooted in discipline and moral values—not a political playground—and must be shielded from corruption and external manipulation.

The scandal, which has outraged both the local community and stakeholders in the education sector, stems from an investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). EOCO found that the four senior staff members had engaged in fraudulent procurement practices and stolen school funds.

The individuals involved are:

Stephen Atta – Chief Procurement Officer

Eric Morgan – Principal Stores Assistant

Evelyn Nyarko – Senior Domestic Bursar

Augustine Ntim Duodu – Senior Stores Assistant

Three of them admitted wrongdoing and have since refunded part of the stolen funds:

Atta: GHS 5,000

Morgan: GHS 10,000

Nyarko: GHS 10,000

Duodu was implicated for receiving gifts from suppliers, a serious breach of procurement ethics.

Following the EOCO findings, the college’s Governing Council initiated disciplinary action.

However, reports indicate that GTEC has written multiple letters to the institution, pressuring for the staff to be reinstated—a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the college community and beyond.

“They admitted to wrongdoing and refunded part of the money,” a senior staff member said. “Reinstating them undermines the credibility of the fight against corruption.”

The Queenmother and the Agogo Traditional Council insist that allowing the return of these individuals would damage the integrity of the mission-based institution and send the wrong message about accountability in public education.