By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu
Atiavi (VR), Feb. 17, GNA – Atiavi Senior High School in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region has received a major infrastructure boost following the sod-cutting ceremony for an ultra-modern dining hall complex with kitchen and auxiliary facilities.
The project is expected to ease dining and kitchen challenges faced by students, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff, and improve the overall standard of the school.
Mr. James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, who spearheaded the sod-cutting ceremony held on the school’s premises, assured that all necessary logistics, including available funds through GETFund, were in place to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.
He explained that the project was a result of the mandate given to President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC government to implement development initiatives, commending the people for their votes. “Your votes have yielded fruitful results,” he stated.
The Minister noted that 80 per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund was being directly disbursed to assemblies for the construction of infrastructure and development projects.
“These projects include CHPS compounds, clinics, classroom blocks, bungalows, dormitories, and others aimed at improving the living standards of beneficiary communities,” he said.
Mr. Gunu further explained that under President Mahama’s leadership, the Common Fund was being used to address pressing challenges within assemblies to enhance infrastructure development and productivity. He disclosed that 36 CHPS compounds were expected to be commissioned soon in the Volta Region.
He emphasized that the government was working to improve all sectors of development, and the construction of the dining hall would bring relief to students and staff who had long faced challenges with dining and kitchen facilities. He added that the project formed part of broader efforts to enhance infrastructure in educational institutions across the country and promised support to address other challenges at Atiavi SHS, including boarding facilities.
Mr. Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, the Keta Member of Parliament, and Mr. Wisdom Seade, the Municipal Chief Executive for Keta, urged the school and community to collaborate with contractors to ensure successful completion of the project.
They also appealed to stakeholders, chiefs, and elders to take ownership of the project, monitor progress, and report any challenges or wrongdoing to ensure quality delivery.
Mr. Alex Kwasi Akotey, Headmaster of Atiavi Senior High Technical School, told the Ghana News Agency that the project would significantly improve the welfare of the school’s 247 students and 52 teaching and non-teaching staff at the 35-year-old institution.
He expressed concern over a stalled Boys’ Dormitory Project initiated by GETFund, which has forced students to occupy an incomplete structure. He appealed for urgent support to complete the dormitory to ensure safe and dignified accommodation.
The Headmaster also indicated that the school needed a befitting Administration Block and a modern library with ICT facilities to enhance management and academic excellence. He reaffirmed the school’s commitment to discipline, excellence, and national development, supported by improved infrastructure.
Some students and staff engaged by the GNA assured full cooperation toward the successful completion and maintenance of the dining hall complex, expressing hope that the project would enhance the school’s ability to provide quality education.
The ceremony was attended by education officials, assembly members, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu