Chief appeals to Assembly to suspend handing over of school

Accra, May 16, GNA - The La-Nkwantanang Traditional Council has appealed to the Ga East Municipal Assembly, to suspend the handing over of a new classroom block in the community to the REDCO Basic Schools. Speaking to Newsmen at La Nkwantanang near Madina in the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, Nii Nikoi Jonas, Chief of La-Nkwantanang said this would enable what he described as "issues surrounding the new classroom block to be resolved amicably".

Giving the background to the stalemate, Nii Jonas said a three-classroom block in the community had its roofs ripped off during a rainstorm in March, 2001 on the compound of the La-Nkwantanang Cluster of Schools.

He stated that eventually the school block collapsed, injuring a number of pupils.

Nii Jonas said the community appealed to the then Ga District Assembly to repair the classroom block to enable the displaced pupils to attend classes.

According to the Chief, the District Assembly attempted to construct a new block using wood, which was the same materials used for the first one, which collapsed.

Nii Jonas said the community then contacted a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for assistance to reconstruct the block. He said the NGO provided 495 bags of cement and other building materials in addition to 2,700 Ghana Cedis cash to assist the community to put up the project.

Nii Jonas said the community with the assistance from the then District Assembly, completed a six classroom block. He said without consulting the community, the Ga East Municipal Assembly allocated the new block to REDCO Basic School throwing out pupils of La-Nkwantanang for whom the new block was built. Nii Jonas appealed to the Ministries of Local Government and Education to step in to stop what he described as " The perpetuation of injustice".