Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has raised concerns over the recent series of fire outbreaks that have destroyed girls’ dormitories in the Northern Region.
Speaking during a visit to Pong Tamale Senior High School and Tolon SHS following the incidents, Dr. Apaak called for closer collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Ghana National Fire Service, under the Ministry of the Interior, to develop a comprehensive framework aimed at preventing such occurrences.
He emphasized the need to fully investigate the causes of the fires, highlighting the importance of determining whether they result from the use of unapproved electrical gadgets by students or deliberate acts of arson.
“This is becoming too frequent, and this is just in the Northern Region. I believe it is time for our Ministry to engage the Ministry of Interior to work with the Ghana National Fire Service so that we can establish a strategy and framework to prevent such incidents rather than react after they occur,” he said.
Dr. Apaak also urged Senior High School management to remain vigilant regarding access to school facilities, warning that some individuals may have harmful intentions toward the government or the institutions.
“Vigilance is crucial. We must monitor everyone who enters our campuses. Not everyone may have good intentions. If there are arsonists who are targeting our schools, we need to identify and apprehend them,” he added.
