Ho, Sept. 22, GNA - Mama Attratoh III, Queen of Ho Dome, Wednesday urged the Ho Municipal Assembly to undertake regular maintenance of school infrastructure in the Municipal area. She said many schools in the municipal area had been reduced to death traps for lack of maintenance over several years. Mama Attratoh was speaking at the inauguration of a six-unit classroom block with office for the Ho-Dome Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School. The $72,796 facility was initiated by Mama Attratoh with financial assistance from the Japanese government. The new school block replaced one said to have been built about 62 years ago but had fallen into disrepair with crumbling walls and leaking roofs.

Mama Attratoh said donors would only be encouraged to help provide such infrastructure when the ones they had provided were maintained. "I want to remind you that taking good care of the building and furniture will encourage others to come to your aid," she said. She said well maintained schools would entice children to be in school and also boost quality teaching and learning. Mama Attratoh commended the Japanese Government for the assistance. Mr Hisanobu Mochizuki, a Counsellor at the Japanese embassy, said the financial assistance from Japan was under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP).

He said 223 projects had been funded in Ghana under the scheme since 1989. Mr Mochizuki commended Mama Attratoh and the Municipal Assembly for the collaboration. Mr Isaac Kodobissah, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, said the new classroom block was a great relief to the Assembly and commended Mama Attratoh for the initiative and thanked the Japanese government for the assistance. He said the Municipal Area has over 200 basic schools and the Assembly alone would not be able to maintain them.