The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Ahmed Ibrahim, has distanced his ministry from reported plans by the Wa Metropolitan Assembly to demolish Tendamba Primary School to make way for the construction of a 24-hour economy market.
According to the minister, neither the Office of the President nor the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has been briefed on any such proposal.
Speaking during a meeting with the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, Mr. Ibrahim said he was surprised by the reports, which he first encountered in the media.
“I heard in the news yesterday that a school is being converted into a 24-hour market. Kuoro, it is not coming from my ministry, and I don’t think President Mahama will endorse that,” the minister stated.
He stressed that the government would not support any initiative that compromises access to education, emphasizing that schools must be protected.
“We will not collapse a school to build a market. Even if somebody has taken that step, that person needs to consult the Ministry of Local Government,” he added.
The reported plan to convert the Tendamba Primary School land into a market has generated widespread public backlash across the Upper West Region. Civil society groups, parents, education advocates, and residents have called on authorities to reconsider the idea, warning that it could disrupt education and set a troubling precedent.
As of now, the Wa Metropolitan Assembly has not publicly responded to the minister’s comments.
