The Odumase M/A School Park came alive with joy and celebration on Thursday, February 26, as dignitaries, teachers, pupils, and residents gathered at the Ga-Odumase M/A ‘2’ Cluster of Schools for the commissioning of a newly constructed six-unit classroom block.

The event attracted key government officials, traditional leaders, education stakeholders, church leaders, and community members. Among those present were the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Sedem Kwaku Afenyo, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West Municipality, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, the Municipal Chief Executive Officer of the Ga North Municipality, Hon. Akwetey Agbo, the Ga West Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Louisa Benon, the Ga West Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Victor Tawiah Nai,  the Ga West Municipal Information Officer, Mrs Rachel Sarpong, traditional authorities, including the Chief of Ga-Odumase, Nii Acquah II, and the Queen mother, Naa Korkor Sampahi III as well as Pastors and Apostles of the Church of Pentecost. Teachers and pupils of the Ga-Odumase M/A ‘2’ Cluster of Schools were also in attendance.

The modern classroom block, valued at GHC 762,412.00 was constructed and donated by philanthropists Mr and Mrs Dynamic Mawunyegah-Akakpo, with Mr Akakpo serving as Chief Executive Officer of Dynamic Swift Construction and Engineering Ghana Limited. The facility is equipped with ceiling fans and white marker boards and is designed to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for over 200 pupils. The structure has also been engineered with a foundation capable of supporting a future three-storey expansion.

In his address, Hon. Sedem Kwaku Afenyo commended the Akakpo family for their generosity, noting that poor educational infrastructure had long been one of the major challenges confronting the Odumase community. He expressed optimism that the project would significantly ease congestion in classrooms and pledged, to support the provision of desks for the new facility together with the MCE. He also announced their plans to establish a 24-hour market at Ga-Odumase.

The headmaster of Ga Odumasi M/A Basic 2, Mr Alhassan Musah, described the commissioning as a historic milestone and expressed gratitude to the donors for their commitment to education. While celebrating the reduction in congestion, he appealed for support to equip the school’s computer laboratory to enable pupils acquire essential digital skills for the 21st century.

Delivering an emotional speech, Mr Dynamic Mawunyegah-Akakpo recounted how he got inspired to build the school. According to him, he encountered a dangerously dilapidated classroom structure which he described as a “death trap” as he walked pass the school one morning. He explained that pupils had previously studied in unsafe conditions supported by wooden sticks, forcing the school to operate a shift system that affected teaching and learning.

He recalled the challenges he faced which includes theft of construction materials and security concerns that nearly derailed the project, Mr Akakpo said he remained resolute. He attributed the successful completion of the project to divine guidance and support from friends and partners, including the Director of Destiny Roofing, who provided roofing sheets.

The Municipal Director of Education, Hon. Victor Tawiah Nai, emphasized that the seriousness of a community is reflected in how it treats its children. He described education as the most powerful tool for transforming society. He also encouraged students to work hard and get aggregates 6 and 9 so that they can access the scholarship scheme, which the senior brother of the donor, Mr Akonta Felix Akakpo (Torgbui Tenuvi II), had promised the final year students.

In his remarks, MCE John Desmond Sowah Nai described the classroom block as an investment in the future of Ga-Odumase rather than just physical infrastructure. He commended traditional leaders for preserving lands for public institutions and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to education, including plans to renovate the M/A 3 JHS block. He stressed the importance of proper maintenance to sustain the facility.

The Queen Mother of Ga-Odumase assured stakeholders of the community’s commitment to sustaining quality education and appealed to the Ghana Education Service and government to consider establishing a Senior High School in the area.

The ceremony climaxed with the official commissioning of the six-unit classroom block by Mr and Mrs Dynamic Mawunyegah-Akakpo, marking a new chapter in educational development at Ga-Odumase.

SOURCE: DORCAS ASANTEWAA OSEI, ISD-GWMA.