10-12-2010 Walling of Bolgatanga Senior High School to Begin
Narration: Controversy surrounding the walling of the Bolgatanga Senior High School Popularly known as “Big Boss” due to chieftaincy dispute over the years, has been finally resolved to pave way for work to begin. Consensus was reached after the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, in the company of other dignitaries including district and regional directors of education met with the chiefs and custodians of the land to settle the issue once and for all. A sod cutting ceremony aftermath the meeting took place at the school premises to herald the commencement of the wall project. Isaac Asare has more for Radio Ghana.
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The Bolgatanga Senior High School which ranks among the best second cycle schools in the country began in 1974 through the efforts of the chiefs and people of the region. Efforts to wall the school since its establishment has proved futile due to conflicting issues of chieftaincy and land litigation among community members, chiefs as well as custodians of the land. At the just ended 40th anniversary celebration of the school this year, a special appeal was once again made to the government through the Ministry of Education to help fence the school with all the urgency to prevent more people encroaching onto the school land. The Regional Minister upon the request made, lobbied to secure funds for the commencement of the school wall project which has been the bone of contention between the chiefs and custodians of the land as well as the school authorities. Several attempts were made by the school authorities to deal with the situation but fell on rocky grounds. This is because some community members including the land owner kicked against the move claiming that they owe some portion of the land which they use for their farming activities. Moreover, their royal cemetery is also cited on the school land. These portions of the land, according to them, were not part of the school land when the demarcation took place in late 70s. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Didacus Afegra, who earlier on briefed the regional minister and his entourage on the matter said refusal by the custodian of the land to hand over the other portion of the land for the project has being a source of worry to staff as well as the student body and appealed for dialogue. To this end, an emergency meeting was organized to find an amicable solution to the problem. The Regional Minister after hours of heated deliberations, appealed to the chiefs and custodians of the land to willingly release it for its intended purpose in order not to disturb the relative peace prevailing in the area. He said land has become a very scarce commodity in the region and appealed to chiefs and land owners to help release land for developmental purposes since it will serve the interest of the people in the region. He said issue of land litigation and compensation has become a major set-back to the development of the region and called for mutual cooperation and understanding. The Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, accompanied by other dignitaries including the Traditional Chief of Winkongo, Naba Moses Akanzua, and the Paramount Chief of Tongo, Tongorana, later cut the sod to officially mark the commencement of the project which would be undertaken by Plan Construction Limited, a local construction firm.