The Chiefs and people of Asempaneye, a farming village, near Tinkong in the Akuapem North District on Friday held a durbar in honour of the Deputy Mission Officer of the United States Embassy in Ghana, Mr Gary Pergl.

Mr Pergl was on a one-day visit to inspect school projects initiated by the Assemblyman for Tinkong Electoral area, Alhaji Muftam Mohammed and to familiarize himself with problems facing the people.

Addressing the people, Mr Pergl expressed concern about the dilapidated school building and promised assistance of the America Embassy to expand the new school building from a three-classroom block to six, construction of a Junior Secondary School (JSS) block, an office and a workshop for better learning environment.

He pledged his office assistance to send some American Peace Corps Volunteers as a short-term measure to the area to teach in the schools until they helped build teachers bungalows to motivate teachers who are posted to the area.

The Akuapem North District Chief Executive, Dr Mrs Danquah Quist, said the government has plans to build 19 primary and Junior Secondary Schools by the end of 2004 in the district including a six-unit block for teachers at Asempaneye.

Alhaji Mohammed thanked Mr Pergl for honouring their invitation to acquaint himself with the problems confronting the people and his readiness to offer assistance the community.

He said the new school building being constructed is a big relief to the people in the area and urged them to help in diverse ways to speed up the completion of the project.

According to the headteacher of the school, Mr Ernest Yirenkyi, the Asempaneye Local Authority primary school is the only school in the area, which was built in 1968 and has since not seen any rehabilitation as a result of which its school population has dropped from 150 to 60 pupils.

He said due to the deteriorated state of the school some of the teachers have vacated their posts leaving only three teachers.