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Upper West: GNFS worried about the spate of fire incidents
The Ghana National Fire Service in the Upper West Region is worried about the spate of fire incidents at senior high schools (SHS) across the region and has asked that school authorities take fire safety precautions more seriously.
The Public Relations Officer of the GNFS in the region, Divisional Fire Officer III (DOIII), Martin Bakobie Wa who expressed the concern in an interview, mentioned that six separate fire incidents at three senior high schools within one month called for immediate attention to fire safety in the schools.
The first three incidents he said occurred at the Wa Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in a space of 72 hours, destroying about six rooms on the girls’ dormitory block.
“When the first incident occurred at the school we were still trying to figure out the cause, then the second occurred, then the third, within 48 hours so that some affected students were made to go home”, he said.
DOIII Bakobie said the last incident occurred at the Ullo Senior High School at Jirapa where over 5,000 exercise and textbooks, among other stationery burnt to ashes when the store room and dining hall of the school caught fire.
He mentioned that other items which included food commodities such as maize, vegetables and sugar meant for the students got burnt in the fire, leaving the school children very distraught.
“This fire incident comes a week after a previous incident at the Eremon Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in the Lawra Municipality where six classrooms and a twin-dormitory block were razed down”, he said.
The PRO noted with concern that 170 students at the Eremon SHTS were displaced whereas 154 of the displaced students lost virtually everything to the fire.
He mentioned that student bunk metal beds, student mattresses, chop boxes containing groceries, uniforms, trunks and other personal effects were all lost in the flames, leaving the students very devastated.
“We had to dispatch two fire pumps; one from the Jirapa fire station and the other from Lawra to help bring the fire under control after nearly two hours of trying to quench the flames”, he said.
He mentioned that they were investigating the various fire incidents but appealed to the authorities of senior high schools across the region to take precautionary measures to forestall accidental fires.
He encouraged them to allow for regular fire education, acquire fire extinguishers and also repair and replace faulty electrical wires, switches, and lamp holders, among others to help reduce the incidents.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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