Students of Sirigu Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District, Upper East Region, took drastic action against their headmaster over his alleged refusal to repair five broken boreholes on campus.
During a protest on August 5, the students reportedly seized control of Principal Ferdinard Achaa’s car keys and locked his office when he arrived at the school during a visit from the District Chief Executive (DCE).
The District Chief Executive, Akurugu Aeke Stephen, indicated the situation was tense, with authorities said to be overwhelmed. “I had no option because the students had all surrounded us, leaving us in the middle… The headmaster was also in the middle, and some other policemen were in the middle, and they were all out. They want the key to their pickup. They don’t want the headmaster to be using their pickup. They don’t even want him again in the school.”
Stephen noted that the demonstration was peaceful and that no school property was destroyed. He disclosed that he had instructed a mechanic to begin repairs on the broken boreholes to address the students’ water crisis. The issue of the toilet facilities is also planned to be addressed. The Students Representative Council president of the school, Bukari Ayadago, asked the headmasters to be handed back so he could leave, as the students expressed their strong dissatisfaction with the situation.
The students said broken boreholes had made life unbearable, forcing them to travel long distances to access water for domestic chores. This has even led to an attack on a girl in the school. Ayadago, who is visually impaired, further accused the headmaster of neglecting the school’s toilet facilities, which had led to open defecation among students.