In Ghana, calls made to hold company accountable over messages to parents
The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations of Ghana has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take legal action against a company accused of sending allegedly fraudulent messages to parents of first-year students. As MyJoyOnline reports, the Council believes that a public disclaimer by GES is insufficient to protect parents.
Payment demands
According to the Council, the company Edupack BGL Prospective Ghana Limited allegedly used the GES name and logo in messages sent via SMS and WhatsApp. The messages demanded 1,670 Ghanaian cedis from parents for trunks, notebooks and other items on the student list.
The Council's General Secretary, Hapson Kofi Raphael, supported GES's decision to distance itself from these messages. At the same time, he said that using the education service's name and logo to obtain payments from parents is a serious matter that should draw the attention of law enforcement agencies.
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Advice to parents
Raphael called the situation alarming, as families already face financial expenses related to sending their children to senior high school. He advised parents to verify any payment requests before transferring money to individuals or organizations presenting themselves as GES or schools.
The Council also called on GES to strengthen protection for parents against similar schemes. GES said it had not authorized the mentioned sale of items from the student list.
