Upper West lacking storage facilities for education supplies

Wa, March 14, – The lack of warehouse for education materials is seriously undermining storage of education deliveries in the Upper West Region.

The storage of test books, large consignment of furniture, food stuff from World Food Programme (WFP), and other materials from Ghana Education Service Head Office for distribution to various districts has become a nightmare for the Regional Education Directorate as they had to often struggle for a safekeeping place.

Investigations by the Ghana News Agency has revealed that through the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), a request for the construction of a warehouse for the Regional Education Office was made to the GETFund Administrator in the region.

Mr Evans Kpebah, the UW Regional Director of Education, said according to his checks, the RCC was not sure an approval had been made by the GETFund for construction of the Regional Education Warehouse.

He said based on this he was asked by the RCC to put in a follow up proposal for the warehouse, which he did.

He said since he took over office as the Regional Education Director in October 2017, the issue of the warehouse has been a priority to him and the directorate, hence his decision to contact the RCC.

“Since the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy by the government, enrolment has doubled if not tripled and a lot of education materials will be coming in from the Head Office”, he said.

He also noted that where to keep those education materials for onward distribution to the various districts was the biggest challenge of the regional directorate.

He said presently, the Directorate was depending on one small place around the Metro Mass Station in Wa, adding that the situation had compelled them to convert his Deputy’s office into a store room leaving him with no office.

“If we don’t get befitting warehouse, very soon we will be converting my own office into a store room and that will also be another problem”, he said.

The Upper West region since it was created in 1983, there has not been any provision of a warehouse for the storage of educational materials which many believe pose threat to supplies if stored in private stores or locations.

GNA