By Albert Futukpor
Bunkpurugu (NE/R), July 08, GNA – Authorities at T.I Ahmadiyya Junior High School (JHS) at Bunkpurugu have commended the Northern Development Authority (NDA) for constructing a school block for them, which has led to improved teaching and learning in the area.
Mr Noah Biidukii Suuk, Headmaster, T.I Ahmadiyya JHS, who gave the commendation said because of the new classroom block, enrolment at the school had shot up from less than 100 students to the current student population of 180.
He gave the commendation when Mr Sulley Sambian, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NDA visited the school to learn about how the new classroom facility was impacting teaching and learning.
The visit to the school formed part of Mr Sambian’s two-day working visit to the North East Region to inspect development projects initiated as well as completed in the area under the NDA’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
The NDA, in the year 2019/2020, as part of its IPEP, constructed a three-unit classroom block with staff common room, store room and headmaster’s office to replace the old structure of the T.I Ahmadiyya JHS at Bunkpurugu in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District.
Mr Noah said, “This edifice is very helpful to us. The school was established in 2011. Since 2011, we were always under trees and summer hat. This area is wind-prone area. From May and June when the rains are about to start, the wind will blow the summer hat, away and some of the trees will even be uprooted. At that time, we will not have classes. We do not have a place to learn.”
He said, “However, when the new classroom block was constructed, in fact, we are enjoying it. All the time, we are busy in class. The community is happy, and our students are also happy.”
He added that because of the new classroom block “There is increase in enrolment. First, our enrolment was not up to 100. But right now, we have 180 students. Teaching and learning are also going on very well because there is comfortability; teachers use the staff common room to prepare their lessons very well. But at first, they were not having any place to just sit to prepare lessons.”
He expressed appreciation to the NDA for responding to the most critical need of the school and appealed to the NDA CEO and officials to continue with the good works they were doing.
Mr Sambian, as part of his two-day working visit to the region, paid courtesy call on Mr Yidana Zakaria, North East Regional Minister at his office at Nalerigu, and later proceeded to the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District to pay courtesy calls on the Chiefs and Palaces of Nakpanduri, Bunkpurugu, Bimbago, Najong, Naniik, Jilik Binde amongst others.
Mr Sambian visited a number of towns and communities including Nakpanduri, Bunkpurugu, Tatara, Gbankoni to inspect completed and ongoing classroom projects, water facilities, and a warehouse at Bunkpurugu to help address post-harvest losses in the area.
In the North East Region alone, from 2017 to 2022, both the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) and the NDA awarded a total of 181 development projects where 99 of them, representing 54.7 per cent, have been completed.
In the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District, 11 out of 21 projects awarded were completed during the period.
The Chiefs of the towns and communities visited praised the NDA for its efforts to address their development needs and expressed confidence in the CEO to deliver on his mandate.
Mr Sambian said the NDA was working to raise funds to complete the rest of the projects before the end of the year 2024 for the benefit of the people.
He was impressed with how the projects were impacting lives in the region, saying, “The sad thing is that we have not been telling our stories. There is so much that the NDA and MSDI have done over the years. Unfortunately, we have not been telling our stories. So, when I took over, I decided that there was the need for us to tell our stories.”
He said “If you were awarded 181 projects and you were able to complete 99; at least that is over 50% of the job done. But I am not sure so many people know about this story. We went to Bunkpurugu and you saw the warehouse; the beautiful one. That one will take care of the post-harvest losses of farmers.”
He added that “We have also gone to inspect some projects at Tatara. We went to Nakpanduri Business SHS where the girls’ dormitory was gutted by fire. NDA has decided to take over these projects so that the students can go about their academic work. This is what NDA has been doing over the period.”
Mr Sambian told the people to keep faith with the NDA saying, “We have not really been in the news for the good reason for some time now, but normalcy is returning.”
He appealed to the Chiefs to continue to support and partner with the NDA to continue to bring development to the people.
GNA