A rainstorm has ripped off Boania D/ A primary and Junior High school in the Kasena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. The incident which occurred on the 23rd of March 2021 has affected teaching and learning in the two schools.
When Word News visited the school, teaching and learning were ongoing in the primary while the Junior High School was virtually empty. It was observed that the rainstorm ripped off the entire Boania JHS block. Pieces of roofing sheets were seen scattered all over the school’s compound while some were also seen hanging on nearby trees. For the Primary school, the storm has destroyed basic 4,5, and parts of basic 6, as well as the school’s office and the storeroom, which has compelled the authority of the school to move the office to a nearby house in the community.
In an interview with the Headmistress of the D/A primary school, Mrs. Rebecca Alugiviala, she said “ it has affected the school so greatly that teaching and learning cannot go on well because some of the pupils have no place to sit because their classrooms have been ripped-off and as at now we have merged the classes to manage for teaching and learning to go on “. She, however, revealed that most of the school pupils have stopped coming to school due to the havoc of the rainstorm. She appealed to the government through the kassena-Nankana west district to come to their aid.
The Assemblymember for Bonia Electoral Area, Mr. Frederick Wugaa Awuviri, described the situation as unbearable. He appealed to the government and other benevolent organizations to come to their aid.
“It’s a worrying situation, I should say it’s a dire situation because from the 27 of last month regular classes have not been going on since the upper primary classrooms had their roof ripped off.” He said the Junior High School on the other hand was built by members of the community with some financial support from indigenes of the community who are in the diaspora and others also living in the southern part of the country. Some churches including the Catholic Church which is closer to the school also had their roofs ripped off by the rainstorm. When contacted the interim District Chief Executive for the Kasena Nankana west, Mr. Gerard Ataoge said, his outfit has tasked the district engineers to furnish him with the final report on the rainstorm for further action to be taken by the assembly. Mr. Ataoge said there is a discussion on the issue with the contractor working on the JHS block.
“When we got there the situation was very bad, the roof was off, the building itself with cracks. It’s not something we can just put back on the roof. We are compiling a report but am in talks with the contractor as last week they were preparing to pay them and I know well that the moment he picks his money, he will rush back and complete the project for us “He noted.
Gaspard Ayuureneeya