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On Wednesday, July 27, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia officially opened a two-story classroom building for the Tunga Zongo Community in Dansoman, Accra.
The Zongo Development Fund, a development organization established by the Akufo-Addo government to ensure inclusive and sustainable development in Zongos and other underprivileged communities, provided funding for the project, which involved completely rebuilding and modernizing a crumbling classroom at Tunga Community Islamic School.
Vice President Bawumia, who spoke at the facility’s commissioning, said funding projects like this one and many others around the nation shows the government’s commitment to increasing everyone’s access to high-quality education, especially in Zongo areas, through the Zongo Development Fund.
“Expanding access to quality and relevant education is pivotal to the transformation we are determined to engender in Zongo Communities, and the Zongo Development Fund is the frontline agency and vehicle through which government seeks to ensure the realization of the development objectives relating to Zongo communities,” said Dr. Bawumia.
“Indeed, since Ghana attained independence, no budget has ever been deliberately allocated for the development of Zongo communities. The establishment of the Fund dedicated to Zongo communities is indisputably unprecedented.
“The building of this impressive educational complex and its ancillary facilities by the Zongo Development Fund in Tunga, championed by our ever-vigorous and diligent member of Parliament, Hon. Ursula Owusu Akurful, clearly underscores our commitment to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to expand access to high-quality education, especially in Zongo Communities,” Dr. Bawumia said.
Since the Zongo Development Fund was established in 2018, it has promoted the development of infrastructure for many Zongos in the areas of education, health, sports, sanitation, drainage systems, roads, and water. It has also given many Zongos access to educational scholarships and entrepreneurial support.
The impact of the ZDF on communities, as envisioned by the NPP, was praised by Dr. Bawumia as he named several of these projects and their locations in Zongos across the country.
“These obvious interventions by the Fund are commendable efforts aimed at bridging the yawning gap in the educational fortunes of Zongo communities vis-a vis other communities.
“Not only has government implemented a comprehensive development of educational infrastructure in Zongo communities, it has also intervened positively by improving health facilities, sanitation, human resource development through skills training and educational grants and in improving the ambience, visibility and security in Zongo Communities in Accra.”
“Indeed, communities such as New Fadama, Madina and others have witnessed remarkable transformation in social, recreational and sporting activities through the construction of Community Sports and Social Centres (astro turfs). These centres have provided a new fillip to the lives of the inhabitants of these communities.”
Dr. Bawumia reiterated the government’s commitment to increasing access to education, noting that given the sharp increase in Senior High School enrollment as a result of the Free SHS policy, it is up to the government to increase access at all levels.
“In this regard, the government has started the construction of one model senior high school in each of the 16 areas through the Zongo Development Fund.
To assure the opening of three of the schools this year, we are working assiduously.”
The recently inaugurated building offers auxiliary amenities including a library and offices.
Ursula Owusu Akurful, the area’s MP and minister of communications and digitalization, was present at the ceremony and expressed her happiness that the facility had been built and put into service.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
