UE/R: Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO), Celebrated 8th Speech & Prize- Giving Day.

BY: Raymond Wegwi

The Navrongo Senior High School ( NAVASCO ), in the Kasena Nankana Municipal in the Upper East Region, has celebrated its 8th Speech and Prize- Giving Day in Navrongo, co-sponsored by the NABIA 1984 year group, under the theme “Countering Drug Abuse: Measures and Strategies Towards Teaching and Learning for Building Ghana’s Human Capital. After a briefed welcome address by the School’s Board Chairman , Mr.  Augustine G. Ayirezang ,Master Tambeogo Abraham Awinyangit, the Senior prefect ,admonished his colleagues student against drug abuse in line with the theme as the consequences are devastating; ruined lives, broken families and a drained economy, which as students are not immune to these risks.  He commended the Headmistress and staff, and the Old Student Associate of the school called NABIA, for their continued  support and mentorship, describing them as their “ultimate life coaches ” providing the necessary infrastructure, equipment and other related needs,  which have improved teaching and learning,  making them excelling in various fields and pledged their support to the school’s Management. He  mentioned dilapidated dormitories, insufficient laboratory equipment and furniture, as some of the challenges facing the school, and appealed for them to be fixed.

The Headmistress of the school, Ms Mercy Babachuweh, who was pleased and honoured to address this annual celebration for the sixth time as Headmistress , expressed her profound gratitude to the Board Chairman, Management and staff, Parents, NABIA, Students and all stakeholders, for their support. She reported that, currently there are 144 Teaching and 59 Non-teaching staff and 16 volunteers who have been supporting them for years now, and asked for their engagement to be regularized . The school current total students enrolment figure, is 2,023 with five years’ WASSCE excellent academic performance . According to her, the school has achieved a lot in academics and other competitions in all levels,  and in the area of government intervention, the school has received the tablets for the second years, sanitary pads for the girls and the only beneficiary of the Ghana School Smart Project in the Region .Ms Babachuweh however enumerated a number of challenges affecting smooth teaching running of the school some of which are, inadequate staff accomodation and furniture, dilapidated dormitory blocks, broken spill-way of their dam, and called on NABIA and other stakeholders to come to their aid and acknowledged all those who have being supporting them  over the years.

The NABIA Global President, Mr Alabira Ibrahim,  underscores the importance of the Association and called all the past students to come onboard, as he put it” no one is more bothered about our alma mater than we the alumni of the school, and giving to your alma mater is not charity,it is an investment in the future leaders and change-makers”.He said NABIA has done well, but there are still challenges confronting the school, and going forward a number of the year groups should pull their resources  together to enable them do a very meaningful projects.

The guest speaker, Dr. Dennis B. Daliri, at Presbyterian Psychiatric Hospital in Bolgatanga, noted that, substance abuse has been the second leading cause of Psychiatric clinic attendance and the majority of those who come seeking help are between 18- 25 years old, with problems of addiction, psychosis, depression and sometimes complete loss of their ability to function. He advocated for the need to have a strong preventive education on drugs usage integrated into the curriculum, an active guidance and counseling unit in all the schools, trained to identify and support at-risk students, active involvement of parents and communities, controlled access to dangerous substances by the law enforcement agencies, because the future of Ghana is not in the hands of politicians or foreign donors, it’s in the hands of the students.

The special guest of honour-  the  Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, described the theme as more timely, urgent, critical, and therefore resonates deeply with H.E. John Dramani Mahama resetting agenda of building a disciplined, healthy and productive citizenry, capable of driving sustainable national development, and commended the school for the theme. According to him, as government they would provide robust policies, effective rehabilitation services, and support systems that empower young people to stay on the right path, and the Ministry would continue to collaborate with the National Nacotics Control Commission (NACOC), and other security agencies to prevent the sale and use of drugs around the schools.

The Chairman of this year’s celebration,  was the Sagnari Naa Ambassador Y. Abdulai, who is also a NABIA, remarked that, Ghana especially the Northern Regions, is faced with existential threat that ,they are all called upon to rise up and fight the scourge of trafficking and rampant abuse of opioids and all manner of psychotropic substances in their communities. He admonished the students against drug abuse, adding that the choices they make today determine their future they create for themselves. Awards were presented to deserving students and staff.