The St. Charles Old Boys Association (SCOBA) is calling on the Ghana Education Service to immediately close down the school over recent “spate of acts of suspected arson attacks on the properties” of the school.
According to the old-boys association, “SCOBA is deeply saddened by the seeming lack of urgency in investigating previous such incidents to understand the causes of the fires and suggest concrete recommendations to assure the security and safety of the students, staff and School property”.
In a press statement copied to diamondfmonline, SCOBA argued that “recent acts of arson render our alma mata incapable of guaranteeing any reasonable security and safety of the students, members of staff and property”.
“Acutely aware of the responsibility of the school to ensure reasonable security and safety of students and their property in a conducive learning environment, it is the view of SCOBA that the recent suspected acts of arson render our alma mata incapable of guaranteeing any reasonable security and safety of the students, members of staff and property”.
Below is the full statement by the St. Charles Old Boys Association.
ST. CHARLES OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION (SCOBA) CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL FOLLOWING PERSISTENT SPATE OF SUSPECTED ARSON ATTACKS
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, you recall that the St. Charles Old Boys Association (SCOBA) recently issued a press statement on the recent of spate of acts of suspected arson attacks on the properties of our alma mata.
We, sadly bring it to the notice of the public that following the four reported acts of suspected arson last week, today, Tuesday 24, August, 2021, the School has come under yet another act of suspected arson.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the view of SCOBA that the current situation renders the School unsafe for the students and unconducive for effective learning.
SCOBA is deeply saddened by the seeming lack of urgency in investigating previous such incidents to understand the causes of the fires and suggest concrete recommendations to assure the security and safety of the students, staff and School property.
Acutely aware of the responsibility of the school to ensure reasonable security and safety of students and their property in a conducive learning environment, it is the view of SCOBA that the recent suspected acts of arson render our alma mata incapable of guaranteeing any reasonable security and safety of the students, members of staff and property.
We call on the Regional Director of Education (GES), the Metropolitan Director of Education, the Tamale Archdiocese, the Headmaster and Management to as a matter of urgency close down the school.
Regrettably SCOBA is evaluating its support to the school especially its investment in building projects. SCOBA further calls for the immediate closure of the school because it not safe and secure and no longer conducive for academic work.
SCOBA also calls for all students who have lived under insecurity and fear to be given pastoral services, psychological support and counselling due to the trauma they may have suffered or been exposed to. In the past ten days alone, there has been four attempts at setting one property or the other ablaze. This maybe too much for young students.
SCOBA further calls for full scale and urgent investigations to unravel the cause (s) of the fires and that the School is only opened when the cause (s) of the fires have been established and remedial actions that will assure the safety of the students and property have been taken, before the school is reopened for resumption of academic work.
We advise the school should remain closed until we get to the bottom of this matter.
We also want to call on the Minister of Education, the President of the Country and the National Security to treat what is happening to St. Charles not only as a local threat, but an attack on education and a national security.
Thank you.
END
-Signed-
Mark Ofori-Amanfo (President, Greater-Accra Branch and Member of Global
Coordinating Committee) – 0244633448
Victor Ninsau (President, Ashanti Region and Member of Global Coordinating
Committee) – 0552565793
Dr. Dominic Dery (President, Northern Region and Member of Global Coordinating Committee) – 008162470
David Kajah (President, USA and Canada and Member of Global Coordinating Committee) – +1(773) 584 -2125
Source: www.diamondfmonline.com
