The Anglican priest, Reverend Father Balthazar Obeng Larbi, who was videoed kissing three students of the St Monica’s College of Education during Sunday mass in Asante Mampong, has been relieved of his duties as chaplain for the school.
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“The church has directed that he should be relieved of all his clerical and pastoral services to the school while investigation is ongoing,” the acting Principal of St Monica’s College of Education, Dr Okyere Korankye, told journalists in the Ashanti Region.
This follows calls by education think tank Africa Education Watch for Father Larbi to be sanctioned in a petition to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
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“We are by this letter petitioning your office to conduct an external investigation into the conduct of Father Balthazar Obeng Larbi and sanction appropriately, while pronouncing on whether or not the practice of kissing students in public is an acceptable conduct in a tertiary institution,” Kofi Asare, the executive director of Africa Education Watch said in the petition.
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We’re investigating – Anglican Church
Meanwhile, the Anglican Church, Ghana says it has started investigation into the taped conduct of its priest and promises to mete out appropriate sanctions in accordance with the norms and values of the Anglican Church.
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“The Church is saddened by the news and wish to state expressly that, thorough investigation has immediately been instituted into the matter and the action of the said priest would be dealt with in accordance with the norms and values of the Anglican Communion where morality is extremely revered in the church.”
