GNPC donates to schools in N/R

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has constructed classroom blocks and donated furniture to a number of basic and senior high schools in the Northern Region in line with government’s efforts to enhance quality education in the area.

The corporation has constructed classroom blocks for the Tolon and Yendi Senior High schools, as well as provided 1,500 pieces of furniture for various basic schools in the Tolon District and the Zogu Junior High School in the Nanton District, where the Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, Dr K.K. Sarpong, has been enskinned as the Zosimli Naa.

It has also constructed a three-unit classroom block for the Salankpang Community in the Mion District to house junior high school (JHS) students in the community to ease the burden on children who have to walk several kilometres from the community to Tamale and Yendi to access JHS education after completing primary school.

The GNPC has also presented a cheque for GH¢36,500 to the District Chief Executive for Mion, Mr Mohammed Hashim Abdallah, to be used to furnish the JHS classrooms with furniture, writing boards, teachers’ tables and chairs.

Quality education

The gesture falls under the GNPC's educational component of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Speaking at a brief ceremony in Tolon to hand over the furniture to the assembly, Dr Sarpong said the gesture was part of GNPC's CSR programme being undertaken in communities across the country and also in line with the President's vision of ensuring that every Ghanaian benefitted from the country’s oil revenue.  

He said the GNPC was committed to improving on education in the country, particularly in rural areas where education was not accessible, to complement the government’s pledge of ensuring that every Ghanaian child had access to quality education.

He stated: “We have donated 1000 pieces of furniture to the Tolon District for onward distribution to the various schools. We will add 1000 pieces later.

 We have also presented some furniture to the Zogu JHS and we have also inspected a project at the Tolon SHS and are impressed with the progress of work.”

Furniture deficit

Receiving the furniture on behalf of the assembly, the Regent of the Tolon Traditional Area, Major (retd) Sulemana Abubakar, said inadequate furniture had been a major setback to the provision of quality education in the district as the deficit had compelled more pupils to share a desk or study on the floor, and that affected teaching and learning.

He commended the GNPC for the gesture and gave an assurance that his outfit would ensure that the furniture was fairly  distributed to the various schools.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tolon, Hajia Balchisu Yakubu, in her remarks expressed gratitude to the Regent of the area, a development-oriented chief, who appealed to the GNPC for support when staff of the corporation visited him.

Mr Abdallah thanked the GNPC after receiving the cheque and pledged that the money would be used for the intended purpose.

He added that the assembly had planned to use the JHS at Salankpang as a model school for the district.