Residents of Damanko in the Nkwanta North District of Ghana's Oti Region are calling for the immediate commissioning of the long-abandoned E-Block Community Day Senior High School. The project, initiated in 2015 under former President John Dramani Mahama, is 95% complete but has remained non-operational since 2015. The delay has frustrated families, particularly parents who must send their children to senior high schools outside the district at high financial and emotional costs.
The community members have appealed to key authorities, including the District Chief Executive, Dordoe Kudjoe Isaiah, Member of Parliament John Kwabena Oti Bless, and the Ministry of Education. Assemblyman for Damanko East, Kwabena Vincent, led the community's concerns, stating that the project stalled after the change in government in 2016. Despite eight years under the current NPP administration, the remaining 5% of the project has not been addressed, leaving the community without the benefits the facility was meant to provide.
The completion of the E-Block is not only an education priority but also a practical intervention that would ease the burden on households. With a functioning school in the area, students would spend less time and money traveling or relocating, while parents would spare the added expenses of accommodation, transport, and upkeep in distant towns. The school's presence would also stimulate local development by creating jobs and attracting commerce.
A visit to the school facility by the Ghana News Agency found the building standing but unused, years after construction reached near completion. The empty classrooms and idle infrastructure represent a lost opportunity for thousands of young people in the district who need access to secondary education closer to home. The community believes the school could have created employment opportunities for teachers and non-teaching staff.
The presence of the school would also have increased business activity for food vendors, transport operators, stationery sellers, and other small enterprises that typically grow around an active school environment. The community's frustration is palpable, with residents describing the situation as a painful setback to education and development in the area.
The residents' concerns have been echoed by local leaders, who are urging the authorities to take immediate action to complete the project. The District Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament have been petitioned to intervene and ensure the school's commissioning.
The commissioning of the E-Block SHS project would bring relief to the community and provide a much-needed boost to education and development in the area. The residents of Damanko remain hopeful that their appeals will be heard, and the school will soon be operational.
Key points
- The E-Block Community Day Senior High School project in Damanko is 95% complete but has stalled since 2015.
- The delay has frustrated families, particularly parents who must send their children to senior high schools outside the district.
- The community believes the school's completion would ease the burden on households and stimulate local development.
