Members of the Old Ghanascans Association (OGA) and the Parent Association have called on the journalist who reported on the purported toilet facility turn dormitories at the Ghana Senior High School to retract the story.
They are demanding the journalist also renders an unqualified apology to the entire Ghanasco community.
The two groups unreservedly condemn his action describing it as reckless and unprofessional.
A statement issued after a meeting of the two bodies said the unprovoked and malicious reportage has not only affected the morale of the student body, especially final-year students who are preparing to write their exams but the entire GHANASCO community.
According to a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Parent Association, Dr Adam Sulemana Achanso and the National Vice President, OGA Osman Mubarik Abu, the student who was captured in the said video appealing to the perceived benefactor had admitted that he was lured by the reporter to exaggerate the situation of the school in order to attract the sympathy of the supposed benefactor for the necessary support to be extended to the school.
It added that the reporter was just not ethical but also unprofessional in presenting an inaccurate narration of the state of affairs.
The statement said that a single act of negligence has not only negatively affected the image of the school but also led to the unfortunate interdiction of the hardworking Headmaster and his Senior House Master.
The statement reiterated that the alleged toilet cubicles had ceased to be toilets and were used by members of Cabral and Gbanzaba Houses as box rooms and also a store room for keeping the working tools of the Houses as far back as the 70s.
“Some of us recounted how our colleague students who were seniors isolated to that facility for the purposes of observing their private studies and assumed that those mattresses found in the video footage cannot be concluded that the facility is officially designated as a dormitory and the historical fact can be confirmed by Old Students of GHANASCO who completed between the periods of 1978 fill now,” it said.
The statement commended the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for his swift response directing the Ghana Education Service to act within the shortest possible time to deal with the reportage by forming a fact-finding team.
It also appreciated the speedy reactions of the public including the Northern Regional Minister, Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu CHASS, NAGRAT, GNAT, Old Students, Parent Association of GHANASCO, staff, Kukuo Community and especially the media.
It said it is the expectation of all these stakeholders that the Committee would finalize its work within the stipulated two weeks period so that GHANASCO would immediately resume its normal activities to allow the students to continue with academic work with the full confidence anticipated.