The launch event, held on the school’s campus, was graced by the First Lady and an illustrious old student of the school, Her Excellency Lordina Dramani Mahama. In her remarks, she lauded GHANASCO’s significant contributions to Ghana’s development through the nurturing of disciplined and visionary leaders over the decades.

“Six and a half decades on, GHANASCO stands tall as a beacon of excellence, discipline, and service to Ghana and beyond. This school was founded to nurture intellectual, civic, and moral responsibility, and it has fulfilled this mission by educating thousands of young people,” she stated.

The First Lady also called for urgent improvements in infrastructure and teacher welfare, stressing the importance of motivated and well-trained educators in achieving quality education.
“We cannot speak of quality education without empowered, motivated, and qualified teachers,” she emphasized.

The Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, also addressed the gathering. He acknowledged the school’s infrastructure challenges, notably the absence of an assembly hall and dormitory  block, but assured the school community of government intervention.

“Within 90 days, government will begin the procurement process for a new assembly hall, with advertisements for the project to be issued within 14 days,” he announced.

He further stressed the importance of discipline in schools and urged head teachers to enforce school rules. He authorized school authorities to conduct searches and take disciplinary action against students who flout regulations.

“The government is taking a firm stance on indiscipline and violence in our schools. Head teachers must be empowered to uphold discipline and create a safe learning environment,” the Minister said.

The Headmaster of GHANASCO outlined the school’s pressing needs, including the lack of an assembly hall, inadequate classroom and dormitory accommodations, incomplete fencing, and insufficient sanitation facilities.
“Gatherings are particularly difficult, especially on rainy days like today,” he said. “We also lack an ultra-modern library and sufficient accommodation for staff and students alike.”

He, however, expressed gratitude to the old students and PTA for their continued support. He gave special recognition to the first Lady  Lordina Dramani Mahama for sponsoring a 600-capacity girls’ dormitory named “Lordina House.”

“This facility has addressed a critical accommodation need. We are immensely grateful to our alumni and PTA for their phenomenal contributions,” the Headmaster noted.

The event brought together dignitaries, alumni, students, and well-wishers, all united in celebrating the remarkable legacy of one of Ghana’s most respected senior high schools.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Walkiyatu Issahaku

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, McCartney revealed that his motivation to embark on the project stemmed from his visit to Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic. While in Tamale, he visited three schools and was deeply concerned about the poor conditions in which students were learning.

“I wasn’t happy with the state of the schools, so I had to step in and help. This is not going to be a one-day initiative. I encourage parents and teachers to take good care of this facility,” he stated.

He further urged the community to embrace a strong maintenance culture to ensure the longevity of the renovated structure.

The chief of the Yilionayili Traditional Area, Nyab Yilionaa, commended McCartney for his continuous support towards the education of children in the community. He acknowledged that this was not the philanthropist’s first time assisting the community and expressed gratitude for his generosity.

The Assistant Headmaster of Yilionayili Anglican School, Alhassan Naporo, also expressed his delight at the transformation of the school building.

“The school was in a deplorable state, making teaching and learning difficult. Before the renovation, the building was completely unusable. Animals would enter the classrooms whenever it rained, forcing both students and teachers to stand alongside them. In such conditions, we often had no choice but to close for the day,” he recounted.

He used the occasion to call on government agencies and other philanthropists to support the school by providing furniture and an ICT laboratory to enhance teaching and learning.

The renovated classroom block is expected to provide a conducive environment for learning and contribute to improved educational outcomes in the community.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Walkiyatu Issahaku

This decision was made during a meeting on February 6, 2025, with the University’s management, including Vice Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Amfo and the Student Representative Council (SRC), at the Ministry in Accra.

“I have asked the Vice Chancellor to reduce the residential facility fees by 25 percent and I have subsequently asked her to engage you (SRC) in the future on any fee announcement.”

In response, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Amfo assured the Minister of the University’s compliance with the directive.

“We have listened to you our Minister and also our students, and we can afford to reduce it to 25 percent across the board, and going forward there will be adequate student engagement.”

Maradona Adjei Yeboah, President of the SRC, welcomed the reduction but called for refunds for students who had already paid the higher fees.

“We are thankful for the reduction at least it will reduce some sort of burden from our parents, there should be a refund for those who have already paid.”

University management disclosed that approximately 80 percent of students have already paid their residential facility fees.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

The project, initiated by the NDC government in 2011, was left incomplete after Mahama exited office.

The college, located in Anomabu, features lecture theatres, a principal’s bungalow, fish ponds, boreholes, and a water pumping station. Designed to accommodate 300 students, it aims to promote sustainable fishing practices and aquaculture education.

During his Thank You tour of the Central Region on Thursday, February 6, Mahama stressed the importance of completing the facility, noting that only furniture, teaching materials, and campus roadwork remain before students can begin their studies.

“This is why we promised to complete all abandoned projects, whether started by the NPP or the NDC,” Mahama stated.

“We will secure the necessary funds to finish it. The project is near completion—only chairs, tables, beds, and some campus roads remain to be done for the first phase. Fortunately, every government prepares a new budget, and the Finance Minister will present ours in Parliament this March.

“I have instructed the Fisheries Minister to take immediate action and work with the Finance Minister to allocate the required funds. Once we complete phase one, we will move on to phase two,” he added.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Adomonline

The sector minister gave the directive when he engaged the Management of the University, including the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Amfoh and the Students Representative Council of the University at the Ministry in Accra on February 6.

“I have asked the Vice Chancellor to reduce the residential facility fees by 25 percent and I have subsequently asked her to engage you (SRC) in the future on any fee announcement,”  Mr Iddrisu advised.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nana Aba Amfo assured the Minister of complying with the directive.

We have listened to you our Minister and also our students, and we can afford to reduce it to 25 percent across the board and going forward there will be adequate student engagement,” she assured.

President of the Students Representative Council, Maradona Adjei Yeboah has called for a refund of the fees.

“We are thankful for the reduction at least it will reduce some sort of burden from our parents, there should be a refund for those who have already paid,” he requested.

So far 80 percent of the students, according to the Management of the University of Ghana have paid residential facility user fees.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

In his explanation, the minister emphasized that while allowances would be maintained temporarily, the government plans to phase out the allowance system gradually.

“There is no way you should be feeding a student at the tertiary level. We can narrow feeding to basic and free senior high schools, but at the tertiary level, students should be able to take care of themselves,” he stated.

The minister made these comments during a meeting with the leadership of the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, Ghana (PRINCOF) in Accra last Thursday.

The meeting, held in Accra on Monday, February 3, 2025, brought together Melchizedek and his parents for an inspiring conversation about education, ambition, and the future of science in Ghana

During the meeting, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, a strong advocate for youth empowerment and academic excellence, commended the young physics prodigy for his remarkable achievements.

Melchizedek, who hails from Bole in the Savannah Region, made headlines after scoring an impressive 5 As and 3 Bs in the WASSCE at just 13 years old, earning him a place at KNUST to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.

As part of an effort to nurture his passion for science and mining engineering, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama offered Melchizedek an exclusive learning experience aboard one of his private jets.

The young scholar was taken into the cockpit whilst being flown back to Kumasi enroute to campus, where he got a firsthand look at the technical operations of an aircraft, aligning with his deep interest in physics and aerospace engineering.

Melchizedek, who initially aspired to become a pilot before shifting his focus to physics, was visibly excited about the opportunity.

“This experience reinforces my belief that understanding the principles of physics can open doors to many fields, including aerospace engineering,” he said after the cockpit tour.

Beyond offering mentorship, Ibrahim Mahama also pledged full educational funding for Melchizedek to support his studies at KNUST and beyond.

The businessman assured the young prodigy and his family that he would cover all tuition, accommodation, and essential academic expenses to ensure he reaches his full potential without financial barriers.

His parents expressed their gratitude to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama for taking an interest in their son’s academic journey, providing him with a unique opportunity to explore aviation technology up close, and securing his future with financial assistance.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama encouraged Melchizedek to continue striving for excellence, assuring him of his unwavering support.

“Young minds like Melchizedek are the future of Ghana. It is our responsibility to support and nurture them so they can reach their full potential,” he stated

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

This comes after President John Dramani Mahama established an eight-member committee to oversee the organisation of the National Education reform, to publicly dialogue on ways to improve on the educational sector in the country.

In an interview on the Channel One Newsroom, General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah raised concerns regarding debts owed the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the challenge of financing the School Feeding programme for basic schools across the country and the capitation grant which lies in arrears.

He further lamented the growing concern of student indiscipline witnessed recently in some Senior High Schools and called for reforms in the disciplinary system.

“The major problem facing us is funding. All the problems we are going to discuss, it is about where to

get money, pay for them. And like I always say, capitation grant is in arrears for over two years. We are owing WAEC for over GH¢100 million. The school feeding, we are owing. How can we feed students GH¢1.30 a day?

“We will go there and bring to their attention that currently as a people, we have lost the effective aspect of training our children which has to do with character and conscience. And we will run into danger when we train children with knowledge and they don’t have character.

“We must revisit the issue where we have disabled the headmasters and everything, otherwise we will be in trouble in the coming years.”

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

Mr. Adjei holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Bergen, Norway, and a Postgraduate Training in Procurement from GIMPA.

He has extensive experience working with World Bank, African Development Bank, DANIDA, and European Commission-funded projects in Ghana.

He comes on board with vast knowledge and expertise that aligns with the vision of His Excellency the President for GETFund.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Adomonline