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OLA SHS teachers under threat…as robbers ‘raid’ school
Teachers of OLA Senior High School, Ho, have been living in fear and anxiety for the past three months.
This follows persistent raid on their bungalows by robbers.
There have been about 15 cases of break-ins and stealing of personal items at teachers’ bungalows on campus since October, this year.
Some of the terrified teachers, who spoke to The Spectator on Monday, said that the robbers, who operated day and night, often gained access to the school by scaling a portion of the perimeter fence wall near the Galenku Hill.
“They usually strike during class hours when teachers were not at home,” a source told The Spectator.
In most cases, the burglars took away cooking utensils and harvested vegetables from the gardens of the teachers.
In one instance, they stole more than 50 fowls from the poultry coop of a teacher, and went further to steal fish and other food items from the kitchen of other teachers.
Worse, still the thieves sometimes left notes that read ‘Rest in Peace” on the doors of their victims.
According to the teacher, sometimes the robbers were spotted fleeing with dangerous weapons like cutlasses and metal bars in hand, which made them very dangerous to approach and apprehend.
“Now, we do not know whether the robbers will soon extend their nefarious activities to the dormitories of the students,” one of the teachers whose house was burgled five times during the period said.
According to him, an intruder who attempted to break into his bungalow recently during the day time, was arrested and handed over to the police, but the suspect was later released for lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, some teachers who can no longer put up with the trend are making frantic efforts to vacate their bungalows, and rent rooms in town.
When contacted on phone, the headmistress, Madam Regina Coffie confirmed the story and said that “thieves are harassing us.”
But she later cancelled an appointment with this reporter for a briefing on the issue.
On his part, the Ho Municipal Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Adade Yeboah said that the cases were being looked into and that officers had mounted a search for the culprits, in addition to day and night patrols around the school.
Pix: OLA Senior High School, Ho
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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