The former Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Lawrence Apaalse Asangongo, has generously donated a cheque of ten thousand Ghana cedis (GH₵10,000) to the Catholic parish in honor of the late Reverend Father Lebel Armand in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Speaking to the media after the donation, Mr. Apaalse expressed that his contribution was a heartfelt tribute to the late Reverend Father Lebel, who significantly impacted his educational journey and the lives of many in the Bongo parish and beyond.
Mr. Lawrence Apaalse Asangongo holds Master’s degrees in Petroleum Geology and Micropaleontology from the Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Moscow, and University College London, respectively. He also has a Diploma (Rhodes Ocean Scholar) from the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy in Greece. As the immediate past Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, he was responsible for initiating energy policy formulation, monitoring, evaluation, and supervising the implementation of these policies. Additionally, he currently represents Ghana on the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), an organ established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He also possesses experience in exploration geology with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Reflecting on his past, Mr. Apaalse emphasized the profound influence Reverend Father Lebel had on his life, both spiritually and financially. “The amount of money given to me around that time is equivalent to five hundred Ghana cedis today,” he noted, recalling the pivotal interview that led him to Bawku Senior High School in the early 1970s, facilitated by Reverend Father Lebel and Robert Ajene. He reminisced about walking barefoot to school until Mr. Ajene, then headmaster of Bawku SHS, provided them with Achimota sandals.
“We met Reverend Father Armand Lebel here when we were growing up in the early 1970s, and the interview that took us to Bawku Senior High School by Robert Ajene took place in Bongo here. So once we got to secondary school, some of the challenges we had and suffered in silence—I for instance, I walked barefooted to secondary school. I wasn’t wearing sandals to the extent that when we got to school and Mr. Robert Ajene’s administration gave us what we called Achimota school sandals, I put them in my box and was still walking barefooted because I wanted to come home and wear sandals people hadn’t seen in Bongo before instead of using them in school, and I was beaten by seniors because they said I was disgracing the school.”
Mr. Apaalse underscored the spiritual mentorship provided by Reverend Father Lebel, who insisted on baptizing and confirming all students. “Each time we passed around, he would dip his hand into his pocket and hand something to you, and at that time, the minimum he gave to us was equivalent to five hundred Ghana cedis today,” he said.
In addition to his notable career, Mr. Lawrence Apaalse Asangongo is the owner of Lapalm Zorko Hotel, the newest hotel in the region. He proudly shared that he was the first person from the Zorko community to gain access to secondary school when middle school education was first introduced. He expressed feeling lost in school until Reverend Father Lebel’s financial support made him feel included in society. Plans are underway to honor individuals who have been instrumental in his life.
Reverend Father Sebastian Aduko, who received the GH₵10,000 cheque, stated that Reverend Father Lebel’s contributions to human resource development, particularly in education, are immeasurable. He was not only a teacher but also deeply committed to the well-being of all students attending Bawku Secondary School and Notre Dame Seminary School. Reverend Aduko confirmed that the cheque would be used to renovate the parish church to modern standards, ensuring it continues to serve as a vital community hub.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya.