Gwollu: Mr Hakeem Duweijua, the Director of Projects at the National Security Council, has donated a set of dining tables and benches to the Dr Hilla Limann Senior High School at Gwollu in the Sissala West District. The donation includes 100 tables and 200 long benches aimed at enhancing student safety by reducing off-campus movement, which could expose students to radical influences.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative is part of a broader effort by the Human Security Department of the National Security Council (NSC) to address security risks facing young people in the country. During a ceremony at the school to present the furniture, Mr Duweijua highlighted the issue of inadequate school infrastructure, particularly in dining and boarding facilities, which could be exploited by extremist groups. He emphasized that when students are forced to leave school grounds in search of a place to eat, they become vulnerable to outside influences. The donation is intended to keep students safe, supervised, and focused on their education.
Mr Duweijua mentioned that similar interventions would be implemented in other vulnerable schools across the country. He stressed that security extends beyond weapons and walls, involving the creation of environments that protect, empower, and guide youth away from danger, which aligns with the NSC's mission.
Mr Mohammed Bakor Zakaria, the Headmaster of Hilla Limann Senior High School, expressed gratitude to the NSC, noting that the furniture would enable over 1,000 students to have their meals on campus in a safe and orderly setting. He described the donation as more than just furniture, viewing it as an investment in the safety and stability of the students, which would discourage unnecessary movement and protect them from potential dangers beyond the school gates.
Mr Abudu Fuseini Gbene, the Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), commended the National Security Council for recognizing the link between infrastructure and safety, stating that students deserve to learn in environments that are both academically sound and secure.
Kuoro Bajor Daniel Limann, the Paramount Chief of the Gwollu Traditional Area, thanked the government for the intervention and urged community members to support efforts aimed at protecting citizens, especially the youth. He emphasized that young people are the future of the country and that it is the collective duty of all to support the state in shielding them from harmful paths.
The students expressed their thanks for the donation and appealed for a library to be established at the school.