By Alex Ababio
The chief of Akitibomo in the Kwabre East District of Ashanti region, Nana Mpianim Baafi II, has appealed to the Government through the district Assembly and all stakeholders to help provide a modern health centre in the community.
He noted that the population of Akitibomo kept increasing with foreign settlers and is surrounded by six communities, but currently has no even a single Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound to cater for the health needs of the people in the community.
Nana Mpianim Baafi made the appeal in an interview with Ghanaian Watch after he showed this reporter the various infrastructural facilities challenges facing the community including poor road network, inadequate classroom blocks , lack of health and toilet facilities and market centre at Akitibomo in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti region.
“We are appealing to government to construct a CHP Compound to serve as first aid before we can convey the sick to Mampongteng for any emergency or serious medical treatment.
“We also need additional borehole to be constructed in the school to provide potable water for the school children and the teachers”
Nana Mpianim Baafi II, further appealed to government to complete a two unit classroom block by fixing its doors and windows for class five and six pupils to help facilitate improvement of quality education in the community.
Recounting how the Akitibomo school was established, Nana Mpiani Baafi II stated :
“ One thing that is impeding our progress is that we have been neglected in terms of development.
I stand to be corrected if it is not the whole Ghana, it would be in the Kwabre East, this was the only town with no school some years ago.
It was the former District Chief Executive Adams Iddisah who established the school after observing how the school children were trekking to go to school at Wadie-Adwumakaase amidst how dangerously they were running into the bush to avoid being knocked down by heavy sand trucks plying the road at the time.” he stated
He continued to show his displeasure at the former Chief Executive of the Municipality, Nana Osei Bonsu, alleging how he treated the people of Akitibomo regarding provision of educational infrastructural facilities.
“ The other chief executive who succeeded him paid us a visit to ascertain the condition of the school, told us that if we had been able to put up the building, then we should complete it by roofing it.
This statement from him really discouraged us. And we asked ourselves are we not part of Ghana ?” he stressed.
Nana Mpiani Baafi pleaded with the government to construct the road from Mampongteng through Adwumakaase to Akitibomo, Ahodwo and Wonoo and other adjoining communities as this would greatly alleviate their transportation challenges
“We are also appealing to government to construct the road and create an additional pathway for the school children to prevent them from being knocked down by heavy sand trucks when they close from school.”
He stated that,“Despite this, my people and I committed to building this two classroom unit block, which has reached a stage to fix its doors and windows.
We are doing our part to complement the effort of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose vision is to see every child in the Ashanti region and Ghana to have quality education.
Now what is left is to have the doors and windows fixed to complete the construction of the classroom block.
Another issue is that the school needs modern toilet facility to serve both the pupils and teachers.
Yet, our financial strength has gone down, so we are appealing to government to come to our aid to give a complete facelift to the school. “
A Unit Committee Secretary of the area, Mr. David Kwaku Boateng called on the government to construct teacher’s bungalow to help the teachers to increase supervision of the pupils and improve on efficiency and effective teaching and learning.
“The major problem causing depopulation of the school is as a result of the teachers traveling from a long distance to the school.Even some of them report to school after 9 am or 10 am
This has become a source of worry to the parents and so many of them have withdrawn their wards from the school, making the school retrogressing.
We are, therefore, appealing to government to construct a teacher’s bungalow for the school to enable the teachers to report to school early to intensify supervision of the school children and improve teaching and learning.”