A Turkish construction company, Arda Grup, has offered to construct a three-unit school block at Breman Jamra in the Central Region to replace the dilapidated classroom block that collapsed and killed six pupils of the school.
The project, which is expected to be completed within six months, will also include a library and an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centre.
This was announced by the management of the company, who visited Breman Jamra in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District last Tuesday to have first-hand information on the state of deterioration of the old kindergarten block.
The officials also interacted with the chiefs and the people of the area and briefed them on their decision.
The General Manager of the company, Mr Bulent Ozturk, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
Social responsibility
Mr Ozturk said the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, adding: “We want to embark on projects that will have a lasting impact on society.’’
The manager and his team paid a visit to the cemetery where the six children were buried and called on the Paramount Chief of the Breman Traditional Area, Nana Amoakwa Buadu VI.
During the courtesy call, the Chief of Breman Jamra, Nana Kwaw Fosu III, appealed to the government to renovate basic schools in the community to avert the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.
According to Nana Kwaw Fosu, most of the schools in the community were in “a deplorable state, just like the one that collapsed. The situation is very dangerous”.
“It is really sad that children who went to school to be enlightened could not return home to their parents. Our prayer is that such a disaster will never befall this community again, hence we need the support of all to put these schools in good shape,’’ he added.
Background
On January 31, 2017, six kindergarten pupils of Breman Jamra Methodist Basic School lost their lives when their dilapidated three-classroom block fell on them.
Four pupils died on the spot, while two others died of injuries later. Four other pupils who sustained various injuries are currently undergoing treatment.
The incident sparked public outrage, with many people calling for the management of the school to be sanctioned.
Since the incident, scores of government officials, including the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, have visited the area.
By: Graphic Online
