A leading member of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., is calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Grand Medal Award conferred on the proprietor of Great Lamptey-Mills International School, Mr. Enoch Lamptey-Mills, following reports of sexual escapades with one of his students.
Lamptey Mills, alias Mr. Tee, admitted impregnating one of his former students and with the connivance of the girl’s parents, forced the 16 year old girl into marriage.
He was among a number of persons who received national awards last year.
Speaking in a panel discussion on PEACEFM’s flagship programme, “Kokrokoo”, the Insight newspaper Editor strongly argued that by impregnating a student of the school and compulsorily marrying her, Mr. Lamptey-Mills has demeaned the value of the national award.
“If you could recall sometime ago, he hired the services of landguards to beat up one of his students…his national award should be withdrawn, it should have been taken away from him a long time ago. I don’t understand why it’s still in his possession. With such a disposition, people like him should be nowhere near administering schools,” he said.
Great Lamptey-Mills Institute, formerly Lamptey-Mills Institute, was established on February 4, 1963 by the Late Rev. Abraham Samuel Lamptey-Mills after whom the school was named. The Junior High School Department was later established on September 31, 1994 by the current director of the school, Mr. Enoch Lamptey-Mills.
The Senior Secondary Department was also founded in 2005 by the same director.
The outspoken social commentator sharply disagrees with calls for the closing down of the school, as it will jeopardize the education of the students.
“…I don’t share that idea at all, closing down the school will be damaging the educational career of the students…this is a perfect case for state intervention in that school,” he stated.
Mr. Lamptey Mills was released from police custody after the father of the victim secured an out-of-court settlement.
A Circuit Court in Accra on Thursday, October 22nd, willingly discharged Mr. Enoch Nii Lamptey Mills, who had been charged with compulsory marriage. The presiding judge, Mrs. Georgina Mensah-Datsa, ruled that the charge levelled against Mr. Mills was a misdemeanor, for which the law allowed out-of-court settlement.
Mr. Pratt also chastised the police for preferring wrong charges against the proprietor, a situation, he believes led to the release of defendant.
“The most grievous thing was the fact that it was a minor, it’s not about marriage…it’s like marrying a 70 year old woman…I cannot understand why the police did that,” he fumed.
He called on civil society organizations and other state institutions committed to the rights of the child, to campaign for the repossession of the grand medal by the state, adding that “it’s an embarrassment that the country’s highest national honour has been bestowed on such a person.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has indicated it preparedness to black list the school if investigations find the Director of the school, Mr. Enoch Lamptey-Mills, culpable of illicit affairs with his students.
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