Chiefs Prepared To Offer Land For College Of Education In Bolga

At least four thousand applicants turn out for admission interviews in no more than two colleges of education in the Upper East Region every year. But only about four hundred from that figure get behind the few admission doors. One more college, some chiefs think, will fill more teacher-empty classrooms with more trained hands. 

Some chiefs have announced their readiness to offer land to the government to put up a college of education in the Upper East Regional capital of Bolgatanga. The announcement comes at the time authorities, for lack of space at the region’s only two colleges of education, turn away over three thousand teacher-hopefuls every year in front of teacher-empty classrooms in the region. 

BONABOTO, a civil society advocacy organisation pushing for development in the Frafra-speaking area that includes Bolgatanga, Nangodi, Bongo and Tongo, made the chiefs’ readiness known to the media at a press conference in Bolgatanga. 

In a statement read by the organisation’s Chairperson, Madam Augustina Ayivore, BONABOTO entreated the government to resume the stalled renovation project at the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga and asked President John Mahama to honour his manifesto promise of an ultramodern regional referral hospital for the region. 

“We wish to again call on the government to take steps to reconstruct the Bolgatanga town roads and to increase the pace at which other roads linking the capital to other districts are being worked on by contractors. We also want to implore the government to urgently restart the abandoned airport project at Sumbrungu so that commercial aircraft could land and take off from that airport,” the statement urged. 

Bolga craft market

The organisation expressed its satisfaction and appreciation to President Mahama over the appointments of Dr. Ephraim Nsoh Avea, Dr. Dominic Ayine, Dr. Raymond Akongburo Atuguba, Mr. Cletus Apul Avoka, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo, Mr. Alhassan Azong, Mr. Mahama Ayariga and Mr. Daniel Syme to serve in his administration. 

“Having enormously contributed to the development of this country in their various careers, we are confident that they [the appointees] will positively and productively contribute to the forward march of our nation towards economic and industrial emancipation,” said the statement. “We also wish to welcome Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru as [acting] Regional Minister of our region and wish to assure him that we are willing to support him to develop the region,” it added. 

Mr. Stanley Abopaam, Public Relations Officer of the group, told newsmen at the conference of the group’s intended campaign for the rehabilitation of the Bolgatanga Children’s Park which has become a den for criminals, as well as road safety and good sanitation particularly in the regional capital. 

He also spoke of the group’s quest to bring to book those behind the illegal clearing in 2012 of a mature forest reserve behind the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly’s block.  

Also in attendance were Mr. Francis Atintono, Vice Chairman, and Mr. Alagskomah Asakeya Noble, Chairman of Subcommittee on Health, among other high-ranking members of the organisation. 

Credit: E.F. Adeti