Regional News of Tuesday, 18 July 2006

Source: GNA

A new school block at Kapro is smeared with faeces

Kapro (Ash.), July 18, GNA - Barely two days after the Atwima Nwabiagya District Education Directorate had interacted with Kapro residents on persistent defecation in the classrooms, the new 950 million-cedis school block inaugurated about six months ago has been smeared with human excreta.

In protest against the inhuman act, teachers in the area have boycotted classes.

Mr Richard Owusu-Agyemang, the Atwima Nwabiagya District Community Participation co-ordinator (CPC), condemned the act and warned that the school would be closed down if the community failed to immediately address the problem.

He expressed concern about the numerous reports of persistent defecation in classrooms in the district and said the inhuman acts were seriously undermining efforts at providing quality education. Mr Owusu-Agyemang said the government's commitment to invest huge resources in education would be a mirage if the beneficiary communities continued to undermine such efforts.

"It is the responsibility of every stakeholder to play a meaningful role in the management of educational institutions to provide quality and uninterrupted education to all children." Mr Owusu-Agyemang appealed to the teachers to return to the classroom while efforts were made by the directorate to address the issue.

Properties destroyed by fire at Obuasi

Obuasi (Ash), July 18, GNA - It has been established that a fire outbreak that caused damage to properties worth over 50 million cedis in a room at Obuasi-Nkanprom recently was an arson and not caused by an electrical fault.

A report the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) made available to the Ghana News Agency said thieves after managing to steal some money and certain items from the room set it on fire.

"What was surprising was that during the fire outbreak, electricity supply to the house was not interrupted. There was electricity supply to the house at the time of the fire but a match box and match sticks were found in the room", the Report said.

The room of one Mark Otchere got burnt recently. Four suit cases full of clothes; a cash of nine million cedis, a television set and other item were destroyed.

The matter has been reported to the Obuasi Central Police Command.