By Kamal Ahmed
Azza(E/R), Feb. 6, GNA – Mr. Eric Tetteh, Municipal Chief Executive of Yilo Krobo in the Eastern Region, has initiated the construction of a new Azza M/A JHS School building after concerns were raised about the safety of the present bamboo structure.
In May 2023, the Ghana News Agency reported in a news item that went viral, cautioning about the likelihood of the collapse of the structures that serve as classrooms for the pupils if there was no swift intervention
Following the report, Mr. Tetteh has cut the sod to pave the way for the construction of a new Azza M/A Junior High School building, which will include state-of-the-art facilities.
The building will include a six-unit classroom complex, along with a library and a common area for teachers, as well as lavatories and a mechanised borehole.
At a press briefing during the sod-cutting ceremony, the MCE said he was personally invited last year by the Minister of Education to discuss the dire conditions of the school.
According to him, the government had been made aware of the situation at the school through pictures and stories and expressed a strong desire to address the issue promptly.
The MCE said the education minister mentioned that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, expressed a desire to witness
the construction of the school, prompting an invitation for him to discuss the matter at that level.
“That was a wonderful day because, since taking office as MCE, I’ve received numerous reports about the school’s poor condition,” he said.
Adding that, the opportunity enabled him to secure two smart classrooms for the Nkurakan and Klo Agogo communities.
Reverend Peter Atta Bilson, the Director of Education for Yilo Krobo Municipal, said, the state of the bamboo classrooms was having a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning.
He said the enrollment of students has decreased due to the frequent suspension of teaching and learning during bad weather, and so believes that the construction of the new building would effectively reverse the trend.
The Project Manager for Samotrust Limited, Mr. Albert Addo, said construction of the school was expected to be completed in six months, adding that, “building materials are available on-site.”
“We will complete this project because the government, assembly, and community are behind us,” he stressed.
In a report dated May 8, 2023, the Ghana News Agency highlighted the condition of the school and its negative impact on the quality of education, prompting the government to act.
The situation reached a critical point which resulted in the unfortunate loss of some students.
The community in a response came together to build the bamboo structure in 2012,
Mr. Nyumutsu Stephen, Assemblymember for Abrewankor Electoral Area, the GNA for the insightful report on the school’s condition.
GNA