A monumental shift in educational infrastructure has reached the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) District, marked by a dual celebration: the sod-cutting for the district's first Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Senior High School and a massive presentation of 600 dual desks to local basic schools.

The community of Issah turned out in their numbers on Friday, May 29, to show unvarying appreciation for the massive infrastructural impact, with the Danzine Kulugri Group from Fian offering a vibrant cultural dance to welcome the dignitaries.

Director for Special Operations at the National Security Council Secretariat, Richard Anthounma Jakpa, was influential in ensuring the commencement of the landmark STEM institution, which is highly anticipated by the region.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Richard Jakpa emphasised that the establishment of the STEM school is the first of its kind in the Upper West Region, representing a bold step to improve access to quality science and technology education for the youth.

The District Chief Executive for DBI, James Wor, officially welcomed the gathering and highlighted the unprecedented financial scale of the project.

He described the school as "the single largest investment any government has ever invested in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District", noting that the contractor moved to the site to clear the grounds and commenced work immediately after the project was awarded.

Traditional leaders also praised the initiative.

Kulbile Naa, Naa Bismark Bietuari, Secretary to the Paramount Chief of Issah, Naa Yelkuan Bawele II, expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the chiefs and elders.

He noted that the establishment of the STEM high school is a bold step that will greatly improve access to quality education, promote innovation, nurture science talents, and empower the youth with practical skills needed for national development.

The STEM Senior High School is designed to be a comprehensive, state-of-the-art educational hub.

Project architect from ANQ Consortium Limited, Micah Villa, explained that the sprawling campus will feature a three-storey, 18-unit classroom block; a two-storey science laboratory; a two-storey library and ICT hub; and a two-storey administration block.

Additionally, the facility will include two-storey dormitory blocks, a dining hall with a kitchen, and five semi-detached, two-bedroom teachers' quarters to accommodate 10 staff members.

Though the official timeline for the project is 18 months, the executing contractor, TMJ Ghana Limited, is aggressively pushing to deliver the facility ahead of schedule.

Director of Contracts for TMJ Ghana Limited, Jonah Forkah, stated that they are working to cut five to six months off the timeline to complete the school within a year. Forkah noted that work has already begun in earnest, with four of the most critical structures—including the classroom block and the ICT library hub—already raised above foundation levels.

He also assured the community that the firm is committed to utilising premium materials and adhering to the highest safety standards.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, urged residents to take ownership of the project. He also charged the contractor to prioritise local labour, ensuring the community benefits directly from the economic opportunities generated during the construction phase.

In a parallel effort to address severe infrastructural deficits at the basic education level, Mr Jakpa partnered with an associate, Director of Geekrows Enterprise, Edward Benedict Mortey, to donate 600 dual desks to schools across the district.

The District Director of Education, Pognaa Saadia Gbolo, highlighted the dire situation the donation addresses, revealing that 90% of schools in the district lack adequate furniture, a deficit that severely undermines learning outcomes.

She expressed immense gratitude for the timely intervention, noting that it is demoralising for students to lie on their bellies to write.

Hundreds of jubilant pupils gathered to receive the furniture. Mr Jakpa provided the exact breakdown of the 600 desks, which are allocated as follows:

-Issah RC Primary (40 desks)

-Issah RC JHS (115 desks)

-Issah All Saints JHS (105 desks)

-Issah All Saints Primary (80 desks)

-Issah RC KG (50 desks)

-Issah All Saints KG (50 desks)

-Samambo RC Primary (40 desks)

-Samambo RC KG: 20 desks.

Mr Jakpa cautioned the students to take good care of the desks and refrain from manhandling the furniture to last for future generations. Madam Saadia Gbolo also pledged that her directorate would take a personal interest in the maintenance of the furniture to ensure its longevity.

Beyond education, Mr. Jakpa outlined a broader developmental vision for the region, heavily emphasising the need for agricultural infrastructure. He advocated the construction of irrigation dams to support dry-season farming, stating, "If we build dams for them. So they can do dry-season farming. It will reduce poverty. It will reduce migration."

He further challenged all individuals in positions of influence to actively seek developmental opportunities for their home regions, stressing that one's capacity to bring change is not limited to holding elected office.

"Whatever you can do, you can lobby. You don't need to be an MP to lobby for projects. You don't need to be a regional minister," Mr. Jakpa asserted. "In our various individual capacities in various institutions that we find ourselves in and have influence over, let's pool resources for our region. If we don't do it, no one is going to do it for us."

He criticised the approach of acquiring high-level appointments and remaining in the capital without giving back to the home regions in the hinterlands.

"It shouldn't be business as usual where we acquire big degrees and we have big appointments; we sit in Accra, sit in our offices, only come here, look at the poor people and go back," he stated.

"This generation, we must begin to invest in strategic things that will move our communities in terms of generations unborn."