Professor Abdul Mumin Salifu Selanwiah, the Principal of the Tumu College of Education has met his untimely death in a ghastly accident.
He was returning from a trip to the Upper East Region where the unfortunate incident occurred between Bassisan and the Sissili bridge on the Tumu-Navrongo Highway.
Sources from the Ambulance Service in the Sissala East Municipality told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they received a distress call to rescue a trapped victim of an accident on the Tumu-Navrongo highway.
The source said the team arrived at the scene around 14:00 Hrs GMT on Monday December 23 when the incident occurred, together with officers of the Ghana National Fire Service as well as the police.
The source said the lifeless body of the principal was removed from the smashed Nissan Navara pick-up with registration number GV 27 -16, which had a head-on collision with a Shacman tipper truck with registration number GT 485-24.
The driver of the tipper truck and the mate who survived the accident were sent to the Tumu Police Station for further questioning.
According to an eye witness, Mr Waheedu Yakubu, the accident happened at a sharp curve towards the Sissili bridge, where the deceased escaped being hit by an oncoming tipper truck, not knowing there was another tipper truck following it, which the deceased could not escape as it was at a bending curve that caused the second tipper to run over the pick up killing the driver instantly.
The entire roof of the pickup was run over and mangled, which left the driver trapped until the team of security personnel arrived.
The security found the ID card, a phone, sums of money, and some documents at the scene.
The College’s board chairman, Kuoro Mahamoud Zakaria Savei confirmed to the GNA that the Principal was returning from Tamale, after attending the funeral of the mother of Mr Haruna Iddrisu, a former minority leader.
The board chairman said his death is a colossal loss and a big tragedy to the College and the Sissala community in general.
“The appointment process is always cumbersome as it takes time and resources. His death has brought the College back in several folds.
“He was a hardworking person who got along with everyone and would be missed,” he said.
The late professor was appointed as the Principal of the College on 16th August 2023 and lasted 16 months on the job.
He has since been buried according to Islamic tradition, and his final funeral rites are slated for Saturday, 30th December 2024, at Navrongo.
He was 46 years old and left behind a wife and three children.
GNA
