Amorous scandals in school: Kissing priest, Sex for Grades, stool headmaster

The importance of education in the development of a nation cannot be overemphasized, hence investments made by successive governments to make the school environment comfortable for all players.

From the students – with the provision of relevant learning materials – through to the teaching and non-teaching staff – relative to conditions of service – and even to parents; government aims to better the lot of the public education system but also to provide an enabling ambience for private operators to thrive.

For one reason or the other, the school environment can become the center of attraction – for good and or for bad reasons.

This week has brought a bad aspect of events as happened in the Ashanti Region where an Anglican priest was filed kissing students.

But before the St Monica’s incident, there have in the past been some amorous scandals that have rocked the education system. GhanaWeb looks at three such instances.

Stool headmaster

In late January 2021, a funeral was held for the Headmaster of Adumanu D/A Basic School in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central Region, Robert Sepey.

The late Sepey became famous a video of him having sex reportedly with a student of his went viral on social media few years back. The use of local kitchen stools in the act earned him the nickname “kitchen stool headmaster.”

He died in December 2020 and was buried on January 30, 2021 with several mourners seen carrying kitchen stools and demonstrating the sex position the former late headmaster became famed for.

BBC Sex For Grades – Profs Gyampo, Butakor

In 2019, the BBC released an undercover documentary that captured two University of Ghana lecturers, Prof Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Kwame Butakor, propositioning reporters posing as students.

Even though both lecturers denied any wrongdoing, the university temporarily suspended them and instituted a probe into their conduct.

In February 2020, the committee report recommended Gyampo and Butakor be suspended for six months and four months respectively for their roles in the scandal. The suspensions which are without pay took effect from January 1, 2020.

Kissing priest

Father Baltharzzar Obeng Larbi, an Anglican priest at the St. Monica’s College in the Ashanti region was top of the news this week after a video of him kissing three students on a pulpit went viral.

Barely 24-hours later, he was relieved of his post by the Anglican Church with a close source telling the GNA on condition of anonymity that all was being done by the Church to unravel the real reasons for his action.

In a statement released late last week, Obeng Larbi, admitted his mistake and apologized saying he “seemed to have taken a number of things for granted,” before seeking forgiveness and prayers from the general public.

“I pray for forgiveness from all and sundry and plead that you hold me in your prayers during this trying times. God bless us all,” his statement concluded.