The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has handed over a new six-unit classroom block to the Ayakomaso Basic School in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono region.

It has also handed over a 12-unit sanitary facility to the Salvation Army Senior High School in the Eastern Region.

This is part of its continuous quest to support the elimination of “schools under trees” and to offset the dire consequences of poor sanitation in schools.

The facilities, which are equipped with ancillary features, come as part of the GNPC Foundation’s core objective of delivering improved infrastructure to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in, particularly, deprived schools across the country.

Explaining the motive for the projects, Lubaabat Habib-Jawulaa, Head of the Environment and Social Amenities Unit at the Foundation said GNPC, under the leadership of the CEO, Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah, is executing a deliberate policy to invest a significant portion of the Corporation’s share of the oil revenue in social interventions programs that seek to enhance the general quality of life of the people of Ghana.

“Accordingly, the Foundation has put up over 90 classroom blocks and 32 sanitary facilities with several others pending completion in various communities and schools across the country with the expectation that we can all collectively work to reduce cases of exposing children and their teachers to unsafe, learning environments,” she said.

The headteacher of Ayakomaso Basic School, Ebenezer Baah Bentu, decried the unfortunate circumstance of having to conduct lessons for three different classes under trees and thanked GNPC for sending help to ensure better academic experiences for both teachers and pupils.

The MCE for Sunyani West Municipality, Evans Kusi Boadum, said while government doubles its efforts to provide basic amenities for citizens, interventions such as GNPC's are needed to reach all corners of the country.

He further reminded the school’s leadership to take proper care of the facility, pledging the Assembly’s readiness to ensure the same.

Receiving keys to their new 12-unit sanitary block, the headmaster of the Salvation Army Senior High School at Akyim-Wenchi expressed the school’s gratitude to GNPC for living up to his promise to assist them.

He said the growth in the school’s student population has triggered a spurt of pressure on its existing sanitary facilities which are themselves not in good condition and thus, posing tremendous health challenges to both students and staff.

The Chief of Wenchi who doubles as the Paramount Chief of Akyim Abuakwa Traditional Council, Dasebre Dr. Nyarko Asumadu Appiah Oseawuo, said his community lacked many basic infrastructure and implored GNPC to sustain its support to the area as a development partner.

In a related development, the people of Adentan and Ofoase Ayirebi in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions respectively are the latest beneficiaries of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)’s Sports Infrastructure Project, receiving new Astro Turf facilities aimed at economically empowering the youth through sports with an opportunity to improve their skills on standard FIFA pitches. 

The pitches, which come with floodlights and fencing, are part of over 30 others constructed by the GNPC Foundation at various completion levels and in several communities and schools across the country.

In Adentan, a short handing-over event was attended by the representative of Adentan Traditional Council, Obed Nii Anyetei Kwakoranya, and Emmanuel Sackey, Assembly member for Manmomo electoral area.

The MCE of the Municipality, Alexander Daniel Nii Noi Adumoah, on receiving the facility on behalf of the people, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to GNPC for providing them with a project the youth have earnestly waited on.

“Many of our youth in the community are naturally gifted and talented footballers who needed a facility suchlike this to exhibit their skills and we’re of the firm belief that the next ‘Abedi Peles’ and ‘Asamoah Gyans’ will be produced from this locality.”

He assured that the assembly will oversee the management and use of the facility to ensure it stays in good condition to serve the community for a long time.

On his part, Paul Asamoah, District Chief Executive of Akyemansa, in a separate ceremony at Ofoase Ayirebi to receive the community’s new artificial pitch, said, “This pitch represents more for us and is arguably one of the best features in the community.

He stressed that the facility would promote far more than just sports development, but also a sense of community amongst the people.”

Representing the CEO, Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah, the Executive Director of GNPC Foundation Dr Dominic Kwesi Eduah, stated emphatically that GNPC, as a body corporate, has cemented a deliberate policy to use a significant portion of its share of the oil revenue to invest in social interventions such as these to remarkably improve the quality of life of the people of Ghana.

He said, given the passionate affection Ghanaians have for sports, the pitches offer an opportunity to support the unearthing and further development of young talents one community at a time.

“Also, we all know, with regular and consistent training and exercise, comes good health and well-being, so I implore all stakeholders to adhere to the agreed terms of usage and ensure these facilities are maintained to serve their complete. purpose,” he concluded.