UE/R Minister hands over 500-bed capacity girls’ dormitory block to NAVASCO
The Upper East Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, on Tuesday handed over a 500-bed capacity two-storey girls’ dormitory block to the Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO).
The ultra-modern 500-bed capacity facility, funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GetFUND), has been furnished with beds, and has toilets and urinals attached.
Inaugurating the project in NAVASCO in the Navrongo Municipality of the the Upper East Region, the Regional Minister said the support was a testament to government’s relentless resolve to tackling education infrastructure deficit across the length and breadth of Ghana’s north.
According to him, the Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP)
government from the outset, had made an unalloyed commitment to aggressively pursue educational infrastructure to give meaning to the implementation of the flagship Free Senior High School education policy.
Dr Bin Salih, an alumnus of NAVASCO (NABIA), indicated that the facility would significantly reduce the accommodation brouhaha in the school.
As an old student, he said, he would continue to do everything within his means to contribute to the development of his alma mater.
“NAVASCO has a place in my heart because it has contributed in making me who I am today. When I was here, I never knew I would become a Regional Minister one day.
“The teachers contributed in molding me to become a responsible citizen, and I will continue to pay my dues so long as the development of the school is concerned”, he pledged.
On her part, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Mercy Babachuweh, extolled government for re-awarding the contract and seeing to its “fantastic” completion.
She also mentioned that the Regional Minister also deserved all the accolades for his consistent support to his alma mater, describing his efforts toward the progress of NAVASCO as ‘unmatched.’
She used the platform to remind the Minister of some other pressing issues that could threaten the stellar academic progress of the school.
She mentioned an abandoned 12-unit classroom block, and pleaded with the government through Dr Bin Salih, to work assiduously by getting the contractor back on site.
“Now that the girls are here, I will also like to appeal to government to help us get a fence wall so we are able to control deviant students who escape school during classess hour.
“NAVASCO does not have a befitting Assembly Hall to cater for the growing student population, and we wish you could use your noble office to lobby to get these dire challenges of ours fixed,” Mrs Babachuweh appealed.
In his response, the Regional Minister pledged that the issues raised would be tackled immediately, if the NPP emerged victorious at the December 7, 2024 polls.
He, however, called on staff and non-teaching staff of the school to consider voting heavily for the presidential candidate of the party, Vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, so as to enable him to continue charting a progressive path for massive development in all sectors of the economy.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, NAVRONGO