The collapse of 126 private schools due to the financial challenges arising from the closure of schools in the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pronouncement by President Akufo-Addo that the 7th Parliament was “arguably the most productive” in the history of Ghana are some of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Graphic reports that a total of 126 private schools have collapsed due to financial challenges arising from the closure of schools in the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNCOPS) has said.
They had a total of about 37,800 students and pupils with 2,394 staff.
Sixteen of the schools are in the Greater Accra Region, 13 in Northern, 11 in the Ashanti Region and 10 each in the Eastern, Upper West and Bono East regions.
The Executive Secretary of the GNACOPS, Mr. Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, gave the remainder of schools as eight in the Central Region, eight in North East Region, seven each in Western and Savanna regions, six in the Volta Region, five in the Western North Region, four each in the Ahafo, Bono and Upper East regions as well as three in the Oti Region.
He said aside from the financial challenges the schools faced during the pandemic resulting in they being insolvent, other problems had to do with the “lack of regulatory flexibility on the part of state agencies, inability to sustain teachers during the COVID-19 period and free movement of students to schools that offer less fees”.
“They were teaching on loan facilities and some of the banks have decided to take over as a result of their indebtedness to them. They are using the school facilities to pay off the debt,” he said.
Mr. Gyetuah indicated that with the current situation, there was the need for the government to immediately intervene to save more schools from collapsing, since the number of affected schools was likely to increase before the January 15 reopening date.
The newspaper says that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described the 7th Parliament of Ghana as “arguably the most productive” in the history of Ghana.
He said this is because the House had demonstrated dedication and rigour in passing over 50 Legislative Instruments {L.I.).
“I speak as someone who has served three terms in this House, and I can safely say that this 7th Parliament has been the busiest ever, and, arguably the most productive, in the history of our country,” he said.
“You have passed almost 50 pieces of legislative instruments. The Acts have been wide ranging in scope and reach”.
“We finally have the Right to Information Act, we have a Special Prosecutor Act, the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation Act, the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Act, the Witness Protection Act, the Lands Act, the historic Private Members Bill, and lots more. In many ways you have helped transform Ghana, and you have every right, collectively, to be proud of the work you have done,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said this while delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Tuesday January 5, 2021 before the dissolution of the 7th Parliament on January 6, 2021.
The Graphic also reports that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged members of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic to work together in the interest of Ghanaians.
“The 8th Parliament must have to devise a way of conducting its business in the good interest of Ghana’s developing democracy”, he said.
President Akufo- Addo made the call while delivering the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic in Accra on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, to end his first term in office.
He said the results of the parliamentary elections of December 7, 2020 show Ghanaians want the two sides to work together.
“Mr. Speaker the next Parliament won’t be anything like this one which ends tomorrow. I do not suggest that it is not going to be busy, but the sitting arrangement, decibel levels of sounds from the House will certainly be different,” he said.
He added that the two parties have no choice but to work together, “The good people of Ghana have spoken and given Parliament an almost equal strength on both sides of the House. We have no choice but to work with the consequences of the desires of the people”.
Both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed to attain a clear majority in Parliament after the December 7, election. Both parties secured 137 seats respectively with one independent member.
GIK/APA