Delayed Exeat Killed Our Mate -Bolga SHS Students

Some students of the Bolgatanga Senior High School in the Upper East Region who went on rampage over the death of their mate, have blamed it on the delay on the part of their house masters to grant the request of the deceased, Elliasu Zakari, for an exeat.

According to them, the senior house masters – Mr. Osman Iddrisu and Isaac Dzandza,  refused to sign the exeat on time to enable him go home, hence his death.

Students of the school went on rampage on Friday over the incident, and in the process vandalized properties belonging to the school.

“The deceased, Elliasu Zakaria, went to sign an exeat to go home, and the senior house masters did not agree and even beat the student up, so he went home and run out of blood and died,” some of the students told Citi News.

Although refusing to sign exeat forms is not unusual, some of the students told Citi News that sometimes their request to go home to seek medical attention are turned down despite insufficient drugs at the school’s dispensary.

“Some of the senior house masters do not always want to sign exeats for students. When you tell them you are sick and need an exeat to go home and treat yourself, they always refer you to the dispensary and there are not enough drugs at the dispensary,” another student said.

Students to pay for damages

The head teacher of the school, Mr. Afelibiek Ababu, has said the students will be surcharged for the damages caused.

“But for the Regional Minister Rockson Bukari’s intervention, I would have closed the school. You are a great disappointment to me, every night we carry students to hospital and even pay some of your bills and because of an unfortunate incident, you have gone round to vandalize properties, but the damage that has been caused, you must be ready to pay.”

Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, appealed to the students to remain calm as they investigate and bring finality to the matter.

Meanwhile, calm has returned to the school with the deployment of a joint police-military personnel to protect and lives and property.