Assemblyman for Bakaano Electoral Area in the Cape Coast North Constituency, Albert Betford Moses, has charged the government to be proactive about the promise made towards the renovation of Philip Quaque Boys School.
The school, also referred to as the first elementary school in Ghana, was built by Philip Quaque, a pioneer educator, an evangelist and the first African Anglican missionary in the Gold Coast.
About 300 students make use of the school building, which is on the verge of collapse.
At the 65th Independence Day Celebration on March 6th, this year at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised to renovate the school.
However, almost six months down the line, no work has been done on the school.
In an interview with GhanaWeb, Honourable Albert disclosed that all efforts made at the regional level to get the school renovated have proven futile.
He also recounted how sometimes the scattered woods of the roof fall on the students while studying.
According to him, since the students are on vacation now, the government should step in and do something before school resumes.
“Concerning the state of Philip Quaque Boys School, we’re much aware that the school is in a deplorable state and steps have been taken. We went to the MCE office and he made a promise to one way or the other to take care of the school.
"But per the President’s announcement on the 6th March, I think it was a welcome message and we all adore it but it’s been six months now and the problem still exists. So we’re looking forward to the government to come and take care of his message,” he said.
He further added that, “We’re still facing the same problem and the children are also in the school; the wind is also blowing at a high pace, so we want the government to fulfil its promise and get the school renovated. We don’t want anything bad to happen, by the end of September or so the children will be back to school and we don’t want to see a similar situation whereby the woods of the roofing keep falling on the students.
"So I appeal to the government, the regional minister and those who are supposed to push this agenda for the government to step in and deliver. This is not a problem only for my electoral area but the entire Cape Coast.”
In an earlier interaction with some of the students, they stated that they are afraid the building can someday collapse on them.
They called on government to come to their aid to prevent any disaster.
The headmistress of the school, Leticia Saka on the other hand recounted that authorities in the Metropolis such as the Central Regional Minister, Marigold Assan, MP for Cape Coast South, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, MCE for Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Ernest Arthur and other senior citizens of Cape Coast have all pledged to support the school but they are yet to fulfil their promises.
