The Wa East District Assembly finished and handed over a six‑unit classroom block to the chiefs and people of Jeyiri on Tuesday, ending almost ten years of infrastructural neglect in the farming community.
The new facility, which includes a staff common room and a dedicated ICT laboratory or library, was originally launched under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in 2016. Work stalled at the lintel level after the 2016 general elections until the current administration revived the project using allocations from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) earmarked for legacy projects.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wa East District Chief Executive Adamu Sayibu said the intervention was part of presidential directives to retool educational infrastructure and systematically complete unfinished state assets. He noted that the district inherited 43 abandoned projects under the Northern Development Authority and four under GETFund, describing the new block as “our old baby” that the district has now brought to maturity.
The completion of the six‑unit block has prompted a broader restructuring of basic education in Jeyiri. The Member of Parliament for the area has renovated and fenced an additional three‑unit block into a dedicated kindergarten facility, while junior high school students have moved into the vacated old primary block.
Headteacher Musah Lahadew of Jeyiri Primary and KG revealed that only three teachers currently manage the entire student population from KG1 to Basic 6. “We are having a very big challenge with staffing. We have only three teachers for six primary classrooms plus two KG classes,” he said. He added that newly posted teachers face severe housing struggles, while non‑resident teachers commute long distances, leading to chronic lateness.
Deputy Director in charge of Administration and Finance at the Wa East Ghana Education Service Directorate, Tahiru Mohammed, acknowledged the staffing shortfall and pledged immediate administrative action. “Receiving this structure today will enhance learning, though the staffing is inadequate. We are going to discuss this deficit when we get back to the office to see how best to assist the school,” he said. He disclosed that the primary school has about 425 pupils, while the junior high has 155 students, and that the expanded space should curb seasonal truancy caused by classroom congestion.
Assembly Member for Jeyiri and Chief of Sagu, Iddi Ngmengu Abdulai, praised the assembly and central government for the project, recalling that the historical lack of classrooms once forced him to migrate to Tuna in the Savannah Region to complete his basic education.
District Engineer Fatau Mumuni confirmed that civil works, including roofing, ceiling installation, electrical wiring and finishing, are fully completed, with an electricity meter installation by VRA/NEDCo expected in the coming days.
With the new block now operational, the community anticipates improved learning conditions, though the urgent need for additional teachers remains a critical challenge for the district’s education sector.
