The Paramount Chief of Atebubu and President of the Atebubu Traditional Council, Ohempon Dr Yeboah Asiamah, has praised the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for its transformative contributions to educational development across the country.

He observed that many of the country's most important educational facilities had been made possible through GETFund interventions.

Ohempon Asiamah, who stated this last Wednesday at a high-level courtesy call on the Administrator of the GETFund, Paul Adjei, however, expressed concern that Atebubu had been left behind, with infrastructure failing to keep pace with growing demand.

The visit was to confer with management of the GETFund and also seek support for critical educational infrastructure in the Atebubu Traditional Area.

Priority projects

The paramount chief, who was accompanied by a strong delegation of other chiefs of the traditional council, outlined five priority infrastructure projects to the GETFund administrator for consideration.

He mentioned the projects to include the construction of a new municipal education directorate office complex in Atebubu, the construction of a residential bungalow for the municipal director of education and the construction of a new Owusu Asare Basic School building.

The remaining projects include supporting the relocation of the Atebubu Senior High School (ATSEC) Model Basic School, the classroom project and the GETFund scholarship opportunities for students from the Atebubu Traditional Area.

The paramount chief drew particular attention to the deteriorating state of the Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Education Directorate building, constructed around 1956 and had never been substantially renovated, describing it as no longer fit for purpose.

He also emphasised the dire state of the Owusu Asare Basic School, emphasising that it was unacceptable for the school, dedicated to the revered founder of the town, to operate from such dilapidated buildings.

Demonstration of leadership

Demonstrating that leadership must start at home, Ohempon informed the GETFund Administrator that the Atebubu Traditional Council had already begun the ATSEC Model School relocation project, including the production of around 15,000 building blocks to support the construction of a new classroom facility. 

GETFund assurance

Responding, Mr Adjei commended Ohempon for his strong commitment to human capital development and gave the assurance that the five priority projects and the scholarship requests would receive serious consideration in line with GETFund's mandate.

Mr Adjei assured the Ohempon of a strong and sustained working relationship between GETFund and the Atebubu Traditional Council, pledging that the municipality would benefit from future educational development initiatives.

The administrator also briefed the Ohempon and his delegation on a new GETFund policy initiative aimed at encouraging old students' associations and corporate institutions to contribute resources to school infrastructure projects.

Under the scheme, corporate organisations that invest in educational projects through GETFund will benefit from tax reductions via the Ghana Revenue Authority.

This is part of a broader strategy to encourage greater private-sector involvement in education.