The much awaited Dr Hilla Limann Senior High School in Gwollu in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region has taken off to take advantage of the 2013/14 academic year.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) is yet to give approval for the school, which was named after the late Dr Hilla Limann, President of the Third Republic of Ghana to keep his memory alive.

Caretaker Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Cezar Kale, and Naa Seidu Braimah, re-elected Member of Council of State joined hands to cut the sod for the construction of the school in 2011 on behalf of the late former President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills.

Mr Moses Dramani Luri, Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), who made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Wa said the school is starting with 70 students. Thirty five each are to patronise the Literature and Geography classes.

He said until GES gives approval for the official opening of the school it would for now be operating as a community/District Assembly assisted school.

The DCE mentioned lack of electricity and water coupled with the slow pace of work by some contractors especially on the boys and girls dormitory projects as some of the challenges hindering the smooth take off of the school.

Mr Luri appealed to the contractors to speed up work on the projects to enhance the timely completion of works to enable the students who are currently residing in Gwollu Township to move to stay on campus to boost academic work.

He commended UNICEF and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency for drilling one borehole each for the school but appealed to them to provide the facilities with hand pumps to enable the students to have access to water.

The DCE commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund for giving the school 12 projects.

He said the Assembly had awarded a contract to connect electricity to the school to provide opportunity for both masters and students to research and study in the night.