Parents of pupils and students of Ridge Experimental Primary and JHS picket at RCC, Sunyani to resist encroachment on the school land
PARENTS and teachers of the Ridge Experimental Primary and Junior High School in Sunyani have petitioned the Bono
Regional Coordinating Council over an alleged sale of parts of the school’s land to private developers.
The parents asked the Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, to intervene and stop a private developer who has started construction work on parts of the school land.
Chairman of the School Management Committee, Yaw Brenya, said, Nana Bannie donated some 37 parcels of lands on October 1, 1960 for the construction of the Ridge School.
He further explained that apart from the land title there was no other document covering the lands, adding that because of lack of proper documentation, attempts are being made by some sub-chiefs and others without the authority of the current paramount chief to sell parts of the land.
“In 2003 there was a similar attempt by some people but we resisted them and they folded and went away. Now the same faceless persons have gone to sell the same portion of the land to a private developer,” he said.
Mr. Bannie said a search conducted at the national archives and the Land Commission indicated that if the re-zoning that the developer claimed is allowed, it would lead to the demolishing of some of the classroom blocks, the school football field and the school toilet.
“We would not allow that,” the SMC chairman said.
The school’s PTA has also petitioned the Sunyani Traditional Council, the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, the Sunyani Municipal Police and the Member of Parliament for the area, Kwesi Ameyaw Cheremeh to intervene.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani