Ghana’s national oil company, GNPC, has handed over a new six-unit classroom block to the Ankaful M.A. Basic School in the Mfantsiman Municipality in the Central Region.
At a gathering of community leaders, school authority, parents and pupils, Nana Kofi Ntsiful V, Chief of Ankaful, thanked GNPC for the assistance with a gesture he deemed historic as it is Ankaful’s first classroom block facility for its children who, hitherto, trekked several kilometres daily to school in adjoining communities.
He, however, made further appeals to the national oil company to provide the school with an additional block to serve its JHS students, as well as a sanitary facility.
Receiving the facility on behalf of the school, the Headteacher, Madam Eunice Okuruw expressed appreciation on behalf of the staff and pupils, saying the school block would enhance teaching and learning and boost attendance records in the area.
“Before now, we resorted to makeshift structures with no shed to keep the kids; exposing them to all kinds of debilitating conditions. With this block, we no longer must dismiss class at the instance of the clouds forming in anticipation of rains,” she added.
Madam Betty Kurentsiwa Smith, the Municipal Director of Education, said the facility would ease the burden of school authority in dealing with pupils.
She encouraged parents to see the structure as an opportunity to send their kids to school.
She reminded all that education remains a credible poverty-alleviating tool.
“The school is open to all children of school-going ages. Send your kids to school as a means to curb teenage pregnancy and other social vices,” she advised the parents.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Isaac Lord Enu lauded GNPC for its social intervention programmes in needy communities across the country.
He described the school block, which comes with ancillary facilities, as an essential provision for the people in the Municipality.
He tasked the school’s authority and pupils to exercise good maintenance practices to ensure its longevity.
Madam Lubaabat, on her part, assured that GNPC, through the Foundation has earmarked additional projects for the community and Saltpond as a whole.
She said GNPC, after a successful decommissioning of the Saltpond Field, would invest proceeds into the construction of a three-unit classroom block for JHS students and a 12-seater sanitary facility at the Ankaful M.A Basic school.
Furthermore, she said a six-unit classroom block with a 12-seater sanitary facility is expected to be constructed for Edumanu Onyaapa M.A Basic school in Saltpond while an Accident & Emergency block would be built at the Saltpond Government Hospital in the aftermath of the decommissioning process.
Source: GNPC Foundation
