According to the MP, the scale of destruction at the two schools has created an unexpected financial burden for the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly, the schools and other stakeholders who will be required to fund the repairs.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Awuku said the situation was particularly alarming because some of the facilities damaged during the clashes were dormitories occupied by students.
He said the destruction could have resulted in fatalities had the violence occurred while students were asleep.
“Dormitories people sleep in were up in flames, meaning people could have been killed in the middle of the night,” he said.
Mr Awuku explained that the cost of restoring the affected facilities would have to be shared among various stakeholders, including the Municipal Assembly, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), his office and other individuals and groups willing to support the schools.
However, he argued that government and public institutions should not be left to shoulder the entire cost of repairing facilities allegedly destroyed by students.
He therefore called on the parents of students identified as having taken part in the violence to contribute financially towards the reconstruction.
“The debt that has accrued, as the MP, I have to use part of my Common Fund; the Assembly, the PTA are all supposed to contribute towards the rebuilding. The parents of the students involved in this crime must brace themselves that they are going to contribute because it just doesn’t make sense,” he said.
The MP noted that the unexpected destruction was not captured in the Assembly’s planned expenditure for the year and would also affect his existing Common Fund commitments.
“The situation is worrying. This is not part of the Assembly’s plans for the year or even as the MP’s Common Fund,” he stated.
Mr Awuku also appealed to old students of both schools to assist with the restoration efforts, stressing that the affected facilities must be repaired before students return to campus.
“I will appeal to the old students of both schools to come on board and help show responsibility and commitment,” he said.
He said restoring the schools had become an urgent priority because students would eventually have to return to their respective campuses.
“Because these students are coming back but we don’t even have facilities to house them. So we must do all that before they resume,” he added.
Mr Awuku described the extent of the destruction as “unimaginable” and expressed concern over the potential consequences of the attacks, particularly the burning of facilities where students were accommodated.
“The scale of destruction to properties is unimaginable,” he said.
The clashes between Okuapeman SHS and Mount Sinai SHS reportedly resulted in injuries and extensive damage to school property, with security authorities taking steps to restore calm and prevent further disturbances.
