School pupils sprawling on bare floors in dilapidated school structures to learn in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, will soon have their classrooms renovated and furniture provided to enable them to sit to learn.
The District Chief Executive for the Talensi District Assembly, Dr. Christopher Boatbil gave the assurance, saying, the Assembly is committed to improving on the quality of education in the District.
In November 2018, a video which captured Basic School pupils in the Talensi District lying prostrate on the floor to study, went viral, which resulted in public backlash at government.
Addressing the issue on A1 Radio’s flagship programme “Daybreak Upper East” on the Personality Profile segment, Dr. Boatbil described the video as a political mischief done with the sole intention of inciting people against the New Patriotic Party. He hinted that, steps have been taken to address the challenge and the people who did the video were aware.
“There are some schools that actually need more furniture and we are addressing the problem. Indeed, this particular budget that we did for 2019, we are going to have about 1000 dual desks and am liaising with other organizations, hoping that we should be able to get not less than 2000 dual desks from them. So with 3000 dual desks we know that, we will be supplying about 6000 spaces for children to sit on.
But coming to the video, it was unfortunate. Unfortunate is the sense that, it was a political mischief, but I decided not to comment on it. Once you have asked, I will do. You see, you have a situation where these schools concerned, they have metal dual desks in the school and only the top wood where the children seat and placed their books were taken off and I can tell you, I have video evidence of that and these Chairs were locked up in the room secretly. That means, while the top wood were removing one after the other, they were depositing them in this rooms. But come to think of it, government and not only our government, successive governments give these schools what we call Capitation Grants, GHc 1000.00 per term and let’s say, over three years, what have they been using the money for.” He questioned.
Also responding to criticisms against a single tricycle donation received from Shaanxi Mining Company Limited to support the 2018 Farmers Day celebration, Dr. Boatbil said unlike the previous administration that chose to buy those items on credit for the celebration, he and the governing NPP, stand tall because, they approached organizations to solicit for their assistance.
According him, he believes, his step is in the right direction and is better to get on free Tricycle as award to the Best District Farmer, than the District Assembly buying same on credit.
“I had the burden of having to pay for that type of tricycle from Ringo, they bought it in 2016 and the Assembly couldn’t pay and it took my leadership to organize the mining companies, organizations and contractors to contribute. So as at last year we had a company donating tricycle, we had a company donating motorbike and we had a company giving us a donkey. That amount of money the Assembly would have used to purchase these items, would now be in the Assembly’s purse, to be used for other things.” He explained.
Source: a1radioonline.com/ Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/Ghana
