The school block. Inset: Kwame Ofosuhene Apenteng speaking at the ceremony
Kwame Ofosuhene Apenteng, former Deputy Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has constructed an ultra-modern eight-unit classroom block furnished with tables and chairs with a place of convenience, for the Wenchi Presbyterian Primary School in the Asante Akim South District of the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Ofosuhene Apenteng, who is a native of the area, said the project was his contribution to the effort being made to shape the lives of the children in the community, considering the relevance of education in nation building.
“I am therefore, providing the pupils and teachers of the school with a conducive learning environment so that they can concentrate on their studies,” he said during a brief ceremony to commission the project last Friday.
He said the provision of the academic facility was in fulfillment of the dream of her late mother who wanted him to do something in the community to honour God for seeing him through the hurdles of life. But the cost of construction was not immediately disclosed.
His old days, according to Mr. Ofosuhene Apenteng, were nothing to write home about hence, the need to give back to the society once God had blessed him with some resources. He encouraged the pupils to be humble, respectful, studious and make good use of the facility to achieve laurels.
“Education is both a necessity and an investment which everybody must embrace with the seriousness that it deserves,” he underscored, urging parents to encourage their children to study assiduously to become responsible adults.
Mr. Ofosuhene Apenteng thanked his wife for supporting and contributing towards the project. He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the chief, elders and all who contributed in diverse ways to bring the project to completion.
He appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES), teachers and the pupils to manage and take good care of the facility.
The District Director of Education, Ignatius Mwinbe-Ere Der, said the promotion of quality education should not be left to the government alone and appealed to individuals and corporate organizations to help address the issue of infrastructural deficits in poor communities.
He thanked Mr. and Mrs. Ofosuhene Apenteng for their kind gesture particularly, for previously providing a computer laboratory and a library which were fully furnished for both the Presbyterian Primary and the Junior High Schools in the area.
“For the new classroom block to stay useful for a long time, it is the responsibility of pupils, teachers, parents, assembly and unit committee members, chiefs, elders and the entire Wenchi community to ensure a constant maintenance, ”Mr Mwinbe-Ere Der charged.
The headmaster of the school, Antwi Samuel, lauded the gesture and pledged that the building would be well maintained for the benefit of the students and the community as a whole.
