THE COMMITTEE tasked to investigate the sudden death of Sam Leonard Richard, a student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Senior High School (SHS) in Kumasi has submitted its report.
The Chairman of the committee, Justice Obeng Diawuo, a High Court judge, presented the findings to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) last Thursday.
The minister lauded the committee, which was inaugurated on July 13, 2020, for working within the stipulated time and promised to submit the report to the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
Main Incident
Sam Leonard Richard, who was in school preparing for his final examination, suddenly fell sick on campus on July 6. Reports indicated that the school authorities failed woefully to attend to him prior to his demise.
In a video that circulated on the various social media platforms, a sick-looking Richard was seen in serious pains as he sat on a table, with his colleague students trying to administer first aid to him.
According to reports, the sick student endured serious pains for some hours. When his parents were later called from their home to the school, they sent him to hospital where he died shortly on arrival.
The student’s painful death infuriated his colleague students who went on the rampage and destroyed school property. It took the intervention of the police before orderliness could be restored to the school.
The headmistress of KNUST SHS and two other teachers of the school were interdicted after the death of the student.
The Ashanti Regional GES Director, Mary Owusu Achiaw, was asked to temporarily take charge of the school.
The troubles that followed Richard’s death influenced the decision of the RCC to form a committee, which was mainly tasked to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of the student.
Committee Chairman
Although the findings and recommendations are yet to be disclosed, Justice Diawuo, after submitting the report, said his group members managed to work within the time they had, indicating that they had done a thorough job.
He commended the RCC for reposing its trust in members of the committee by giving them an opportunity to investigate the case, adding that they were also grateful to the RCC for its unflinching support which helped their work.
Besides, Justice Diawuo said the committee was grateful to all the witnesses for their cooperation. “In my opinion, the report is the fair representation of what happened in the school on that fateful day,” he added.
