Tongues are wagging at the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Hohoe, Volta Region, over the management of the school by the Principal, Madam Philomena Acquah, Ghanaian RADAR has gathered.
Sources have told this paper that the ongoing management of the school has been linked to a situation that has sparked growing concerns among parents.
The Ghanaian RADAR has stumbled upon a document in which Madam Philomena purportedly used her position and influence to authorise the accountant of the school to bill first-year students to pay unapproved hostel fees.
This action has amounted to a complete violation of the nursing and midwifery school’s regulatory policy regarding the “in-out” policy for first-year students.
According to the parents, the policy states that first-year students should be housed in the hostel, while second- and third-year students should arrange their own private accommodations and feed themselves.
However, Madam Acquah has single-handedly and forcefully compelled all students to be housed in hostels that she has rented without parents’ consent and knowledge.
The situation has compelled parents to call for a thorough investigation to determine the legitimacy of the fees and the reason for the Ministry of Health’s letterhead being used.
A provisional bill for the second-year students for the 2025/2026 academic year, in possession of this news outlet, exposes the charges of unapproved or illegal fees of GHc1,400.00 for rented private hostel facilities compulsorily imposed on all students.
A list of fees from the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Hohoe, which bears the Ministry of Health’s letterhead, purportedly for unapproved or illegal charges, is signed by the college’s accountant and principal.
The ongoing charging of unapproved fees to students, according to parents, has created financial burdens for parents and potentially led to students dropping out of school due to an inability to pay.
They stated that the recent increase in school fees, including feeding and hostel fees, has come as a surprise to many who had budgeted for their children’s expenses based on the previous fee structure. They indicated that this raises serious issues of financial irregularities and unauthorized fee collection by the school authority.
They raised an alarm that the introduction of other payments on top of the already government-approved existing hostel and feeding fees has further exacerbated the financial strain on families. They expressed worry that these additional fees were not communicated clearly in advance, kicking against the compulsory hostel fees for non-residential students.
According to the parents, the new policy mandating non-residential students to pay for hostel and feeding fees is particularly troubling. They stated that many students have already secured and paid for accommodation in town based on prior agreements, making the compulsory fees unnecessary and burdensome on parents.
In the previous agreement, they pointed out that students from first to third year were allowed to seek accommodation outside the college premises, and many parents had signed rental agreements accordingly. They argued that paying for hostel facilities that they are not using adds unnecessary financial strain.
“We kindly request clearer communication regarding fee changes and the rationale behind these decisions, as well as consideration for students who have made alternative living arrangements,” they said. They expressed disappointment over the poor quality of food served to students in the hostels, stressing that it’s high time the government stopped the school authority from procuring food for their children.
To address this issue, the parents called on the Ministers of Education and Health to ensure that the management of the school allows parents to rent private rooms and provide meals to their children.
“We are requesting that the government of Ghana immediately intervenes in this pressing matter to ensure that parents are given the opportunity to rent their house facilities in the town for their students.”
They pointed out that due to the non-payment of the controversial rented private hostel user fees, the situation has angered the principal, who entered the lecture room on April 7, 2025, to allegedly sack non-paying students, throwing out their bags and preventing them from writing their quiz examination.
Some students who spoke in an interview with this paper, under condition of anonymity, complained bitterly about the ill-treatment meted out to them by their principal. “Our female principal molested us due to non-payment of this unapproved fee charged by the management of the school,” they stated.
The students also complained about receiving meals that were neither nourishing nor sufficient to meet their daily nutritional needs. They said the food does not reach the number of students accommodated in the hostels or meet the needs of the students.
“Even the foods provided to us by the caterers of the school were not well cooked. Sometimes when we go for these foods, we cannot eat them, and we have no option but to throw the foods away to avoid health problems,” they lamented.
In an interview with Ghanaian RADAR, Madam Acquah admitted that the school authority introduced the policy mandating students to pay for hostel and feeding fees.
She stated that key stakeholders and parents were informed before implementing this policy.
According to her, the decision to provide accommodation to second- and third-year students was taken by the board members with parental agreement to safeguard students’ lives.
She cited an instance of non-residential female students being raped, with the case pending in court, saying students’ lives were the top priority.
The principal denied engaging in any illegalities regarding charging first-year students for private rented hostel and feeding fees.
“I came to meet the existing policy, and I am just an implementor of the policy,” Madam Acquah clarified, adding that the bill for rented private hostel facility user fees was approved by the Board members and stakeholders.
She further denied allegations of molesting non-paying students, saying she has a good relationship with all students on campus.
“It is not true that we served the students poor-quality meals,” the principal further stated.
