Parents, whose children attend Government Secondary School Alatening, the Principal and teachers of the school, rejoiced as the Mayor of Santa Council handed to school 30 benches and five classrooms that have been refurbished.

Mayor Moses Kan Elroy, while handing over the donation, promised to provide corrugated roofing sheets and the construction of the administrative building to the school.

He said, with the imminent transformation of GSS Alatening to Government High School next academic year, it is incumbent on the Santa Council to invest in the children who come from very poor homes.

“Reasons why I personally recruited a French teacher, who is paid by the Council … and I am going to ensure that, the best students in English, French and Mathematics from Form 1-5 are given excellent prizes by the Council. We shall not end here, because the Council will pay the school fees to the first 20 Mbororo children that will enrol in the school next year.” Mayor Kan averred.

Describing the visit to GSS Alatening and village as a major milestone in the educational, social and economic development of Alatening, the National President of Alatening Cultural and Development Association, ACDA, Augustine Che Ngongban, said a gift in the form of educational infrastructure and teachers, is a life time gift.

“Barely a year since the September 30, 2013, twin elections that saw you elected, we can feel and see meaningful change blowing like wildfire across Santa. This was further attested when a few weeks ago; we witnessed your election as President of Northwest Mayors.”

Che, while briefing the Mayor on one of the major projects the Alatening Multipurpose Community Centre under construction, said the village has struggled with very little resources to get the project to roofing level. He said the association requires FCFA 9 million for the roofing of the centre.

When completed, the centre will be one of the prides of Santa, hosting some Council outreach sessions, rallies, conferences, marriages, seminars because the centre will host an IT Centre, a library, health post, museum, ACDA office, credit union office and so on.

“It will be a meeting place of hope, a symbol of unity and a sign of progress of our people,” Che enthused, while assuring the school authorities of continuous support.

The Principal of GSS Alatening, Charles Werebesi, said the five-year-old institution was handed to him in April this year and “despite the fact that the only thing that was handed to me to run the school was just the round stamp, no finances, but accrued debts, I was never discouraged.”

Instead of waiting for manner to fall from heaven, the Principal said, he started canvassing for financial and material support for the school. Fortunately for him, the Santa Council came to his aide and all the classrooms were renovated and equipped.

The Principal equally thanked the entire executive of ACDA for the ongoing construction of two classrooms.

On behalf of the Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education Mezam, Haman Ibrahim Ruga said the acute shortage of teachers will be solved before the beginning of 2015 academic year.

His Royal Highness, Fon John Chi Suhfoor II of Alatening, appealed to the population of his village to throw their weight behind the Council so as to have more benefits.

“This is the first time we are receiving such huge assistance from the Santa Council in over 20 years and there is every reason for us to lend support to those running that Council.” Fon Suhfoor noted.