Sule Salifu with MUSEC members touring some of the affected schools in Tamale
The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has vowed to demolish illegal structures on public schools in the Tamale metropolis.
School authorities in the metropolis have raised concerns about the indiscriminate encroachment of school lands in the region.
The situation has greatly affected development in the various schools in the metropolis to which the schools face difficulties when they want to undertake infrastructure projects.
The Metro Director of Education of the Tamale Metropolis, Amatus D Tug-uu, in an interview with DGN Online, said the encroachment in the schools does not give pupils the peace of mind to study.
“When the pupils are sitting in the classrooms and activities are ongoing around the school, it is difficult to concentrate. There must be a conducive environment for them but here is the case they are in the classroom and activities are ongoing and their minds are on activities outside the classroom and that affects teaching and learning.”
He lamented that the entrance of the Bamvim Presby School and other schools have been encroached on and that a school must be visible and safe for pupils.
Mr. Tug-uu called on the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and other government institutions to come to their aid to enhance teaching and learning.
Addressing the media after a tour of some schools in the metropolis, the Municipal Chief Executive, Sule Salifu said the assembly has received various complaints from Ghana Education Service about the encroachment of school lands in the metropolis.
“We have come to see things for ourselves and I can assure you that the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) will go through the documentation of the various schools and if we find out that the structures are illegally cited in school lands we will remove them from there. We can not continue to allow people to encroach on school lands because expansion cannot be done and as city authorities, it’s our responsibility to help Ghana Education Service to maintain the lands.”
He indicated that the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) will take immediate measures to prevent future encroachment and to take back lands belonging to the various schools.
The Tamale Mayor however warned residents to desist from illegally occupying lands belonging to schools.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale