Hon. Joseph Azumah, Member of Parliament for the Akrofuom Constituency in the Ashanti Region, has issued a scathing critique of the living conditions at Akrofuom Senior High Technical School (SHTS).
Speaking during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, ultra-modern boys’ dormitory, the MP compared the current housing for both boys and girls to prison cells, calling them unfit for students.
Expressing his concerns during the ceremony, Hon. Azumah highlighted the psychological and physical toll the environment takes on the youth.
“We are not treating the students humanely. The current state of the Akrofuom SHTS Boy’s Dormitory is equal to that of prisoners’ rooms; any student who sleeps here wouldn’t be afraid to spend time in prison because of the similarity,” he remarked.
The MP further asserted that the conditions are so dire that many students have fallen seriously ill. He challenged leadership, stating that “no minister or prominent person would allow their children to study here for even a month”.
In a follow-up interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem via Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Hon. Azumah described the situation as “alarming”.
He noted that some female students have resorted to sleeping outside the school grounds or in the rooms of men to avoid their dormitories—a desperate situation that has contributed to teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.
He lamented that the poor conditions have forced some parents to withdraw their children from the school entirely.
Disturbed by the scenes at the school, Hon. Azumah has begun mobilising resources to give the facilities a much-needed facelift.
“I met five students who were terribly sick,” he stated. “I don’t think prisoners would be given this treatment. That was why I went to GETFund to seek support. I have personally allocated GH₵100,000 to support the project.”
The lawmaker explained that while GETFund has approved new dormitories, they will take approximately 15 months to complete.
In the interim, immediate renovations are required for the old structures which currently house between 600 and 700 boarders.
The new facility is expected to accommodate over 1,000 students and will include teacher bungalows, ironing rooms and modern auxiliary facilities.
Hon. Azumah appealed to philanthropists, donors, and Akrofuom citizens living both locally and abroad to contribute to the renovation of the old dormitories.
He revealed that while he has discussed support with the local Assembly, the recent strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has delayed planned works. He concluded by advocating for the government to prioritise the school, ensuring equal distribution of infrastructure across all secondary institutions.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
