The Dadematse (community leader) and people of Sekesua in the Eastern Region and its surrounding communities have called for the completion of the Community Day Senior High School, popularly known as the E-Block started by the previous government, to enable the area to have easy access to a secondary school.
The Upper Manya Krobo District Currently has only one senior high school and completing the E-block, they argued, would go a long way to complement the role currently being played by the only second cycle institution in the area.
Construction works on the facility began under the erstwhile Mahama regime aimed at increasing access to Secondary school education with the Sekesua project about 65% of works being completed.
However, the hopes of the residents of hosting such an edifice appears to be whizzing past with time.
Their worst fears have been confirmed when the contractor handling the project, Wilglob Ghana Limited packed ‘bag and baggage’ and left the site on Sunday, 13th March, 2022. This followed the stealing of some building materials from the site.
Building materials including 3,000 pieces of 2 by 4 cyber wood, 1,200 pieces of Wawa boards, 402 pieces of marine boards 3,700 pieces of five inches blocks and 2,900 pieces of 6 inches blocks, worth about Ghc150,000 were stolen from the site.
Other items stolen were iron rods, PVC pipes, boxes of nails, conduit pipes and wheelbarrows which were all in the storeroom.
Dadematse of Sekesua Kotokoli, Moses Tetteh expressed regret at the situation.
“This school began in 2016 under former President Mahama until he left office and the project has stalled. It’s seen no progress six years on and now, the contractor is now carrying away his equipment with the last floor [left to be done],” he asserted.
He furthered: “This is a big community with lots of adjoining communities so completing this project would ensure massive development…so we’re pleading that factors impeding the smooth completion of the school should be addressed to ensure that this is done.”
Dadematse Lawer said the situation has remained the same despite several appeals to the political leadership in the district.
A resident, Solomon Lawer also shared his disappointment with GhanaWeb.
He was convinced that the project if completed would enhance development in this community.
"It worries me a lot because if this project was completed, it would bring a lot of development to this community and as it stands still, it worries every person in this community, not only this community but the whole of Upper Manya District because this is going to be the second SHS in Upper Manya Krobo,” he told GhanaWeb's regional correspondent.
Mr. Solomon Lawer while recounting how the project inspired a lot of employment opportunities in the community during the construction was hopeful that the school if completed would provide lots of work opportunities for the community.
He said, “As the work started, it provided a lot of work opportunities for the youth in this community. If it continues and completed, it would generate a lot of work opportunities in this community.”
Only one senior high school in the district means students from various parts of the district have to compete for placement there.
Lawer says completing the project would spare children of the area the hassle of travelling far to other parts of the country to access education.
Members of the community believe that they were also being deprived of a lot of investment opportunities which the school would bring and appealed to the government to ensure that the school is completed to serve its purpose.
Kwabla Samuel Djimatey also wondered why despite completing most of the community day senior high schools begun under the NDC administration, that of his district was still in the same shape and called on government to ensure that they receive their share of the national cake.
District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo, Joe Sam when contacted by GhanaWeb shared in the sentiments expressed by the people, explaining that ensuring that the project sees the light of day would boost access to education in the district.
“it is a good and laudable idea (to complete the school)…Upper Manya here we have only one so if we’re lucky and we have one at Sekesua, maybe in the near future we get one at say Anyaboni or Akateng but my problem is it is a long term project because maybe it is going to be a day school and then how many people are living in that vicinity or that community,” noted the Assembly Chief.
He added that, “It would entice the youth who completed JHS, there’ll be a challenge…if it is within our vicinity here, it’ll help and moreover too when it is completed it’ll create jobs for the community members.”
He however added that he’s received assurances from central government to facilitate works on the project.
