The Ayawaso West Wuogon Municipal Assembly has begun construction of an 18-unit classroom block at the Dzorwulu Junior High School, marking the first major infrastructure investment in the school in nearly five decades.
A sod-cutting ceremony held on the school’s premises in Accra last Monday, signalled the start of the project, which community leaders described as long overdue, given that the school had operated for about 50 years without any significant structural upgrade.
The new structure is expected to ease congestion and improve teaching and learning conditions at the school.
The municipal assembly had funded the project through the District Assembly Common Fund and had completed all technical preparations ahead of construction, which is expected to begin this week.
The structure is expected to be ready by the close of this year.
The project formed part of a broader set of government-funded developments across the municipality aimed at improving education, sanitation, water access and road safety.
Commitment
In an interview with the Daily Graphic after the ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, Dr Michael Mensah, said the project reflected the assembly’s commitment to inclusive development and improved service delivery.
“Today’s event is not merely symbolic; it represents our collective commitment to development, equity and the improvement of the quality of lives of our people,” Dr Mensah said.
More projects
Dr Mensah said the classroom block formed only part of a larger package of development projects launched across the municipality.
He said the Assembly had initiated the construction of classroom blocks at La Bawaleshi, storm drainage works and pavements at various parts of the municipality, speed humps to improve road safety, and boreholes across all 13 electoral areas.
“The provision of boreholes across all 13 electoral areas ensures equitable access to potable water and promotes good health and dignity for our residents,” he said.
Dr Mensah called on contractors to meet agreed timelines and quality standards and urged community members to safeguard the projects.
Long-awaited upgrade
For his part, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo, described the project as historic for the school and the wider community.
He said the absence of infrastructure development for decades had affected enrolment and learning.
“This school has been in existence for 50 years and it hasn’t seen any infrastructure development, so it’s very important to note that for the first time in 50 years, this is coming up,” Mr Dumelo said.
The MP added that the project formed part of a broader development agenda for the constituency, saying, “We are doing other infrastructure projects across the constituency, and we want to make sure that Ayawaso West continues to be one of the best constituencies for people living here, voting here and working here,” he said.
Mr Dumelo also urged the contractors to deliver quality work and appealed to residents to protect the facility after completion.
The Headmistress of the Dzorwulu Junior High School, Irene Yankson, also indicated that the school had pursued the project for several years before it materialised.
She said staff had repeatedly written to authorities to request for new infrastructure.
“We started about four years ago, writing letters every now and then because we needed a new structure,” Ms Yankson said, adding that the authorities had continued to promise support until the project finally received approval.
Ms Yankson said the new building would address serious safety and supervision challenges, explaining that the old structures and surrounding environment exposed the students to injury and made classroom management difficult.
“The learning in a conducive environment enhances absorption, and this project will really help us,” she said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh