Chief threatens to close down school over poor infrastructure

The Chief of Meretwiso in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, Nana Dr. Ntobonkyi III, has threatened to close down the community basic school if authorities fail to take urgent steps to move the pupils into a safer learning environment.

The over 400 pupils of the Meretwiso Basic School have been learning under trees and are also exposed to the vagaries of the weather and dangerous reptiles for two years now.

Nana Ntobonkyi III told the Daily Graphic that a heavy rainstorm ripped off the roof of the school block, including its computer laboratory, in 2017.

The incident was reported to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and they pulled down the structure saying it posed a danger to the staff and pupils.

Since then, several attempts to get the municipal assembly to put up a new structure for the school have failed.

Communal support

He said the community, through its own initiative, managed to provide sand and stones in support of the project but initial work on the block by the assembly had stalled for several months now.

He said that was despite the fact that the community was ready to support the project with communal labour.

Teaching and learning

He noted that currently, there was no effective teaching and learning. "It is obvious that no effective teaching can take place in such an environment", he stated.

" The school runs according to the weather pattern", he added, stressing that it was not right.

Demonstration

He said before the closure, the community would organise a demonstration to express their displeasure about how the authorities were handling the situation.

Nana Ntobonkyi said it was worrying that a situation such as that would be treated with indifference by the municipal assembly.

MCE's Response

Responding to the issue, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Isaac Awuah, said he ordered the facility be demolished of the facility because it posed a danger to users after the roof was ripped off.

He said the reconstruction of the school block was being undertaken together with the community.

According to him "a few hitches with the contractor led to a halt in the work.”

However, he said, the assembly had resolved all issues relating to project, adding that the contractor would be back on site by Friday, February 15, 2019.

Currently the project is at the lentil level, he said, adding that the assembly would ensure it was completed as soon as practicable.
He reiterated that the assembly was committed to providing decent infrastructure for all communities.