Zubeiru Abdulai, the District Chief Executive Officer for Pusiga in the Upper East Region, is confident that the Akufo-Addo administration’s completion of former President John Mahama’s E-block will help boost second cycle education in the region.
Mr. Abdulai told Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show that there was no point in refusing to finish the building because it was built by a different administration.
With the completion of the facility, students from the surrounding area have been able to stay in their communities while seeking second cycle education.
“When I took office, there was one of these e-blocks that had been started by the previous administration. The contractor abandoned the site, but I thought, this is an opportunity for me, I shouldn’t let it go. We had to fight it. I went to Accra and one of the contractors who wasn’t looking serious, we had to terminate the contract. We re-awarded it to a new person. In the 2020/2021 academic year, I went to Accra to tell them that the school was completed and that we needed students, while we were still working on the structure. As we speak now, we have a full stream in the school,” he said.
The structure, according to the DCE, has been fully completed, with an official commissioning in the offing.
While the concept of the E-blocks is commendable, the issues surrounding accommodation remain difficult to manage. The DCE explained that GETFund has been engaged to consider the construction of a dormitory for students.
“We have contacted the GETFund to see if they can help us. If not for all, at least for the girls. The location is a bit on the outskirts. It is making it difficult for the students to get accommodations to stay in. We are also speaking with private developers to see if they can construct some private hostels in the area.”
To ensure that the school exhibits excellent academic performance, tutors were dutifully screened, the DCE said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
