Regional News of Friday, 25 January 2008

Source: GNA

Bekwai Wesley High School under serious land threat

Bekwai (Ash), Jan. 25, GNA - The school authorities of Wesley High School at Bekwai in the Amansie East District have complained about the alarming rate at which the school land was being encroached upon. They expressed fears that if urgent solution was not found to the problem, further expansion of the school would be impossible whilst its academic programmes and other activities would stay put.

Mrs. Rosina Turkson, the Assistant Headmistress, expressed the concern when Mrs. Belinda Serwaah Addo, the Ashanti Regional Director of Education paid a working visit to the school on Thursday.

She alleged that the Bekwai Traditional Council has virtually taken back the school land and tampered with demarcation pillars. Mrs Turkson said the traditional council last week summoned the school authorities and instructed them to desist from any further development of the land including a football field that was being constructed in front of the boys' dormitory.

She said the situation was so serious that it would be difficult to site a girls' dormitory that has been planned to be constructed under the German-Ghana Government Project this year.

She appealed to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, the Amansie East District Assembly, Asanteman Traditional Council and all meaningful Ghanaians to intervene to protect the school from collapse. Mrs. Turkson said the school authorities and other donor agencies have initiated many programmes to provide more infrastructure and other facilities for the school but expressed regret that all available land had been taken over by the traditional council and other developers. The school has completed the construction of a boys dormitory with assistance from the Parent/Teachers Association (PTA)at the cost of over GH=A212,000.