BOTECH Authorities call for early completion of projects
Authorities of the Bolgatanga Technical Institute (BOTECH) in the Upper East Region have called for urgent steps to complete work on the renovation of existing structures and construction of new ones to improve on the infrastructure of the school.
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Currently, a number of projects earmarked for BOTECH under an intervention by the African Development Bank (AfDB), in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), have still not been completed.
The projects were expected to be handed over to the institute in June this year, but that had not been done since some of the projects have, not been completed as scheduled. According to the authorities, the situation is slowing down academic work in the school.
Work
The Principal of BOTECH, Mr Thomas Amare, who made the appeal when he conducted the Daily Graphic round the school, mentioned that, for instance, the renovation of the old one-storey administration block which was being converted into the hospitality and catering management, fashion and design technology departments was behind schedule.
Work on the old boys' dormitory block was also not completed, while facilities such as toilet, windows, paintings, plumbing works and lights, were yet to be completed.
According to the Principal, the situation had compelled the authorities to move the boys to the old girls’ dormitory block, adding that "some of the students are now studying in the school's old workshops and the dining hall but due to smoke coming out of the kitchen as a result of cooking, the students are not comfortable with that arrangement.”
Other ongoing projects include a fence wall, renovation of the dining and assembly halls, the internal road network, welding, fabrication and creative art workshops, as well as teachers' bungalow, and new boys' dormitory block among other facilities.
Background
The Bolgatanga Technical Institute was established in 1985 as a co-educational institution. It currently has a student population of 1,500. Over the years, the school has been grappling with the challenges of inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure.
In May 2015, the school suffered a setback when one of its students fell from the third floor of the boys’ dormitory but fortunately, he survived. The authorities had to quickly mobilise funds to replace the old guardrails of the boys’ dormitory with new ones to forestall that problem.
