The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra Constituency, Bede A. Ziedeng, has officially cut the sod for the construction of a new multipurpose dining hall complex at Birifoh Senior High School.

The project, valued at approximately GH₵11 million, is designed with a 2,500-seat capacity and other ancillary facilities that include a modern kitchen.

The ceremony, chaired by Mr Joseph Batie, brought together students, teaching and non-teaching staff, traditional leaders, and the project contractor.

Addressing the gathering before proceeding to the project site, Mr Ziedeng stated that the massive intervention is meant to give Birifoh SHS the befitting status of a standard Senior High School.

He explained that the large capacity is a proactive measure to comfortably accommodate future student population growth, ensuring the school avoids infrastructure crises as enrollment expands.

The contractor has been tasked to complete and hand over the facility within a 12-month timeframe.

The Headmaster of the school, Mr Iddrisu Harisu, expressed his profound gratitude for the project while taking the opportunity to highlight several other pressing infrastructural deficits facing the institution.

He revealed that the school currently operates without a fence, library, science and ICT laboratories, or a school vehicle.

Despite these significant hurdles, Mr Harisu praised his staff and students for their resilience, noting that the school has dramatically improved its WASSCE rankings, moving from the 30th position in the region to the 12th position, and recording 100 per cent passes in multiple subject areas for three consecutive years.

The Municipal Director of Education, Mr Francis Cudjoe, lauded the development as a critical step toward achieving a broader educational agenda.

He indicated that the directorate is on a mission to ensure Senior High Schools in the Lawra Municipality are migrated to Category A status, an achievement that requires a combination of robust physical infrastructure, high disciplinary standards, and excellent academic performance.

Delivering a solidarity message on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Cecilia Soyele, the Assistant Director, Mr Abdulai Hamza Wumbei, offered his firm support and commended the collaborative efforts to elevate the standard of education in the area.

Furthermore, the Secretary to the Birifoh Traditional Council, Mr Charles Jilinku, who spoke on behalf of the Birifoh Chief, Naa Debomo Victor Gandaa V, recounted the school’s humble origins starting in 2011.

He extended deep appreciation to the MP and all stakeholders for their sustained commitment to transforming the community's educational landscape.

The student body, which has long endured severe infrastructure deficits, expressed immense relief at the development.

The Senior Prefect, Kuutuo Naangmenkum Felix, recounted how students previously had to rely on an uncompleted Home Economics block for dining, entertainment, and Monday assemblies.

He noted that this left them highly vulnerable to the weather, especially during the rainy season when winds would blow water into the makeshift hall. He also used the opportunity to thank the MP for his prior support, revealing that Lawyer Ziedeng had recently intervened to pay examination and feeding fees for final-year students.

Echoing these sentiments, the Assistant Girls Prefect, Baileteg Adwoa Constance, highlighted the health and social toll of the inadequate facilities.

She pointed out that squeezing the student body into a small, hollow room generated severe heat, posing a risk of sickness among the students, stressing that learning without proper recreational spaces is difficult.

She described the impending construction of the new dining hall as bringing "uncontrollable" and "unbearable" joy to the school.