The management of Ghana Lebanon International Secondary School (GLISS) in Accra has raised grave concerns over an ongoing illegal development on a parcel of land, close to the school’s premises, that pose danger to the safety and well-being of students and teachers.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Somaila Mohammed, has pointed to the construction of wooden structures by squatters, which development, he said, has raised fears among school authorities, as it could compromise the safety and well-being of students.
The headmaster indicated that if the development is allowed to continue, it could lead to immoral practices and other vices that would drag the students into trouble.
“We cannot sit back and watch as these squatters build structures that would compromise the safety and well-being of our students,” he noted, while addressing a press conference and called on city authorities to take immediate steps to stop the squatters from erecting the structures.
“We urge the city authorities to take immediate action to stop this development and ensure that our students are protected from any harm,” the school official said, stressing that “the development is not only illegal but also poses a significant threat to the students”.
According to the headmaster, the development of the land behind the school also raises concerns about the potential for increased crime in the area and that the school authorities fear that the structures could pass as a haven for criminals who could target the students and staff as their prey of the imminent environmental hazard, such as pollution and sanitation concerns.
“We cannot afford to take any risks when it comes to the safety and well-being of our students,” said the school official.
In spite of the security threat the development poses to both teachers and students, the lives of the squatters themselves are also in danger, since the area they are developing is near a high voltage pylon, and that in the event of a disaster, occupants of the school and squatters will have their lives ruined.
Meanwhile, the Haqqul Mubeen Institute has also called for a halt of the ongoing development around Ghana Lebanon International Secondary school premises.
Mr. Abdulraheem Mohamed, Secretary of the Institute, in a letter stated that the illegal structures being erected around the school by squatters pose a threat not only to the delivery of standardised education, but also to the health and safety of the learners and staff of the institution.
The Institute explained that the squatters are allegedly involved in several social vices like prostitution, sale and abuse of illicit drugs and violent altercations involving the use of weapons.
As a result, Haqqul Mubeen Institute has appealed to the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, GRIDCo, Ghana Railways Authority, Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Ghana Police Service to take immediate steps to evacuate the squatters, in a bid to safeguard the learners and staff of GLISS and other law abiding citizens in the area.
