By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, June 7, GNA – The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Yakubu, Tuesday, presented vehicles to six Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Region to facilitate academic and administrative activities.
The beneficiary schools, Chiana SHS, the Zorkor SHS and the Garu SHS all received 65-seater buses, while the Bolgatanga, Nabango and the Paga SHSs also received double-decker pick-up vehicles each.
At a brief ceremony to present the vehicles, Mr Yakubu said the gesture from the Akufo-Addo-led-government was a relief to the beneficiary schools, “These vehicles are really going to help in the delivery of quality education in the Region.”
He said apart from the Free SHS policy, government also took up the initiative to supply vehicles and other equipment to various SHSs across the country.
“We know that there are more schools that have not gotten vehicles. Is patience, we thank government for these supplies, and we know government will make sure that all the schools will get all the logistics that they need,” he said.
Mr Yakubu also called on Heads of the beneficiary schools to ensure that the vehicles were regularly maintained to serve their purposes.
“These buses need regular maintenance, and the problem that we have with government institutions is that we receive the vehicles, and when it comes to maintenance and servicing, it becomes a challenge.
“It is the servicing that would keep the vehicles as long as we want. So I encourage the Headmistresses and Head teachers to make sure there is regular maintenance,” he said.
Mr Edward Azure, the Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) who received the vehicles, thanked government for the initiative to supply schools with vehicles, noting that the initiative would solve some transportation challenges in the schools.
He said some SHSs had over the period received vehicles from government, “And I think with this addition, it will go a long way to solve most of our problems with transportation. But I must say that there are still some schools that are in dire need of transport.”
The GES Director mentioned the Mirigu and the Kongo SHSs as some of the schools that lacked pick-up vehicles for administrative work, and was hopeful that the rest of the schools would benefit from the next batch.
Madam Ivy Betur Naaso, the Headmistress of the Chiana SHS on behalf of her colleague Heads, expressed gratitude to government for the vehicles, saying they would enable managements to transport students and staff for sports and academic activities outside their respective schools.
“We hope to use them to improve our results at the end of the year,” Madam Naaso said.
GNA
