The Central Regional Coordinating Council, working together with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has provided roofing sheets and nails to several basic and senior high schools in the Central Region that were badly affected after a heavy rainstorm ripped off their roofs.
Presenting the relief items at the Central Regional Coordinating Council, the Central Regional Minister, Hon. Ekow Panyin Eduamoah Okyere, acknowledged that the supplies may not fully solve the problem but will help ease the immediate pressure facing the schools.
He described conditions in some of the affected schools, especially at the senior high level, as worrying, questioning how effective teaching and learning could continue in classrooms left exposed without roofs.
Among the beneficiary institutions are Fettehman Senior High School, Ghana National Basic School, Asafora Technical School, St. Mary’s Vocational School, and several others across the region.
The Minister also raised concerns about a number of uncompleted GETFund projects within the region, stressing the need to prioritise finishing abandoned structures before starting new ones.
“As Regional Minister, I have not received any official request from schools asking for the completion of abandoned GETFund projects. Instead, what I see are demands for new ones, and that is not the right approach,” he said.
He added that his office would work to ensure all abandoned projects are completed once schools formally communicate their needs, insisting that no new projects should begin while existing ones remain unfinished.
Hon. Okyere further expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for his support to the region and urged the beneficiary schools to immediately put the donated materials to use in restoring damaged roofs.
Meanwhile, the Central Regional Director of NADMO, Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood, disclosed that more than 4,000 people were affected by the recent disaster across 17 districts in the region.
He assured that measures were being put in place to address their needs, noting that roofing sheets and nails had already been distributed to support recovery efforts.
Mr. Dawood also announced that NADMO would begin a comprehensive inspection of schools across the region to identify buildings in poor condition and take swift action where necessary.
“We will not hesitate to close down any school building that poses danger to students,” he stated, adding that the organisation is actively monitoring all vulnerable structures to prevent future disasters.
He also cautioned against the cutting down of windbreak trees around schools and communities, explaining that they play an important role in reducing the impact of storms.
According to him, some residents have been felling these trees for charcoal production, a practice he described as dangerous and unacceptable. He warned that offenders would face sanctions if caught.
Mr. Dawood further appealed to government institutions and stakeholders to strengthen support for NADMO’s operations in the region.
On behalf of the beneficiary schools, the Headmistress of Fettehman Senior High School, Mrs. Eunice Mary Yeboah, expressed gratitude to the Regional Minister and NADMO for the timely intervention.
She said the schools were not expecting such assistance at this time and promised that the materials would be used strictly for their intended purpose.
Mrs. Yeboah also extended appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for his continued support to education and development in the region.