Efforts to improve educational infrastructure in the Sissala East Municipality have received a significant boost following the commencement of a new classroom block project for the Bugubelle community.
The Ghana Petroleum Management System (GPMS) has officially handed over a ten-classroom block project to a contractor, marking the start of a major intervention aimed at easing congestion and enhancing teaching and learning conditions at the Bugubelle school.
The project, expected to be completed within six months, will provide ten fully furnished classrooms, an office, modern washroom facilities and a borehole to support both academic and sanitation needs in the community.
Education authorities have described the intervention as a critical response to the severe infrastructure challenges facing the school, which currently records the highest enrolment in the municipality.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, Mr. Lewil Charles, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Education, disclosed that the Bugubelle school has an enrolment of 827 pupils, placing immense pressure on the existing facilities.
He explained that the limited number of classrooms had resulted in overcrowding, creating challenges for both teachers and learners and affecting the quality of education delivered at the school.
According to him, the new classroom block would significantly improve the learning environment and provide the space needed to accommodate the growing student population.
Mr. Charles expressed gratitude to GPMS and the Member of Parliament for Sissala East, Mr. Issah Mohammed Bataglia, for making the project possible.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Sissala East, Mr. Adamu Benin Yakubu, also welcomed the initiative, describing it as a demonstration of the positive impact that partnerships between public institutions and development organisations can have on communities.
He urged the contractor to deliver quality work within the stipulated timeframe and encouraged the use of local labour to create employment opportunities for residents during the construction period.
Mr. Yakubu further appealed to other organisations and development partners to invest in projects that would improve living standards and accelerate development across the municipality.
For his part, Mr. Bataglia indicated that education remained a central pillar of his development agenda, adding that Bugubelle was selected for the intervention because of its urgent infrastructure needs.
He noted that investing in educational facilities was essential to creating opportunities for children and improving academic outcomes in the constituency.
The Member of Parliament thanked the management of GPMS for responding positively to the request and supporting efforts to provide a conducive learning environment for pupils.
Mr. Godwin Duncan Alikor, General Manager of GPMS, said the project formed part of the organisation’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its belief in education as a foundation for national development.
He stressed that supporting children through educational projects was an investment in the country’s future leadership and development.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Nayon Bilijo, Board Chairman of the Tema Oil Refinery, underscored the transformative role of education in national progress and urged residents to protect and maintain the facility once completed.
When completed, the project is expected to bring significant relief to pupils, teachers and parents in Bugubelle and neighbouring communities, while helping to create a more conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.
