RAINSTORM WREAKS HAVOC AT ASANTEMAN SHS, WESCO DEMO. BASIC SCHs

 A rainstorm that accompanied a heavy downpour yesterday has caused substantial damage to some public second cycle and basic schools in the Ashanti region and disrupted teaching and learning in the process. 

In certain cases, an emergency response by the Power Distribution Services, PDS, was what was required to safeguard the lives of both teachers and pupils. 

The situation has caused disruption to teaching and learning as well as the domestic life of students. 

At the Asanteman Senior High School at Bantama, the badly affected block was one of the Girls’ Dormitories which has its roof ripped off leaving the rooms not only flooded, but uninhabitable, at least for now. 

As at about 8.30 am, the occupant students had brought their personal effects and books outside for drying with the hope that, they would be able to salvage some of the items after sunshine. 

They also had to resort to other sources of water after supply to go about their chores as the main water storage tank that provides them with their daily water needs had also been destroyed by the storm.

 The school’s authorities said off camera that, they were yet to evaluate the extent of damage to enable them to decide the best remedial measures. 

A team of the National Disaster Management Organization, NADMO, led by the Ashanti Regional Director, Mr. Kwabena Nsenkyire, was at the scene to assess the situation and to inform the next line of action to help alleviate the plight of the school. Mr. Nsenkyire refuted speculations on social media earlier suggesting that the school had also been hit by wildfire leading to serious injury to, and hospitalization of some of the students. 

"We are assessing the destruction caused so that we can determine the assistance to give to the school within the shortest times", Mr. Nsenkyire assured.

The havoc caused by the rainstorm at the Wesley College, WESCO Demonstration Junior High and Primary Schools in the Tafo Municipality was perhaps harsher. 

The roof of the primary school had been ripped off with the entire ripped off roofing falling on the Junior High School classrooms rendering all the affected classrooms unusable. 

In all, about four thousand pupils of both departments of the school have been affected by the disaster. 

While teaching and learning materials at the primary school have been destroyed with no classroom for academic work, the lives of both teachers and pupils had also been endangered as a result of the damage caused to the main electricity distribution lines that pass through the school. 

Fortunately, due to the intermittent power outages, the cables had no live power in them. However, the Regional NADMO Director had to quickly alert the PDS to act swiftly before any further disaster could be recorded at the school. 

A JHS teacher, Mr. Gabriel Otaah, told Ashanti Today that the authorities were in a fix whether or not to continue with the day’s examination schedule and the fate of the badly affected pupils.

Meanwhile, the Regional NADMO Director, Kwabena Nsenkyire has cautioned advertising companies to ensure that the giant billboards mounted and also to be mounted within the city are securely fixed to the ground to protect life and property during the rainy season. Landlords and landladies must also maintain their houses to safeguard themselves and their tenants.