Akuapem North Member of Parliament (MP), Sammi Awuku, says parents of students found to have participated in the violent clashes between Okuapeman Senior High School (SHS) and Mount Sinai SHS must contribute towards the cost of repairing the damage caused.
Mr Awuku said the destruction of school infrastructure was extensive and had created an unexpected financial burden for the schools, the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly and other stakeholders.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he said the destruction was particularly worrying because some of the affected facilities were dormitories where students sleep.
“Dormitories people sleep in were up in flames, meaning people could have been killed in the middle of the night,” he said.
The MP said the cost of rebuilding the damaged facilities would require contributions from multiple stakeholders, including the Municipal Assembly, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and his office.
However, he insisted that the financial responsibility should not be left entirely to the government or public institutions.
According to him, parents of students identified as having participated in the violence must also bear part of the cost of reconstruction.
“The debt that has accrued, as the MP, I have to use part of my Common Fund; the Assembly, the PTA are all supposed to contribute towards the rebuilding. The parents of the students involved in this crime must brace themselves that they are going to contribute because it just doesn’t make sense,” he stated.
Mr Awuku said the damage had placed an unexpected financial burden on the stakeholders, as the reconstruction was not part of the Assembly’s planned expenditure for the year or his Common Fund commitments.
“The situation is worrying. This is not part of the Assembly’s plans for the year or even as the MP’s Common Fund,” he said.
He also appealed to old students of both schools to support efforts to restore the damaged facilities before students return to campus.
“I will appeal to the old students of both schools to come on board and help show responsibility and commitment,” he said.
Mr Awuku noted that the students would eventually have to return to school, making the restoration of the damaged facilities an urgent priority.
“Because these students are coming back but we don’t even have facilities to house them. So we must do all that before they resume,” he added.
He described the extent of the destruction as difficult to comprehend, particularly given the potential danger posed to students during the overnight attacks.
“The scale of destruction to properties is unimaginable,” Mr Awuku said.
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