Akim Asafo Senior High School in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region is grappling with severe infrastructural challenges, prompting school authorities and old students to appeal to the government for urgent intervention.

Established in 1991, the school currently has a student population of nearly 2,000 but continues to struggle with inadequate facilities, including limited dormitory space, insufficient classrooms and a congested ICT laboratory.

Authorities say the situation is particularly difficult for female students, as dormitory accommodation remains overstretched. The school also lacks staff bungalows for both teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Several dormitory projects initiated years ago have stalled and now lie abandoned, exposed to the weather and overgrown with weeds.

Accessibility on campus has also become a challenge. The expansive 72-acre compound becomes muddy and difficult to navigate during rainfall, especially around the administration block, dining hall and existing dormitories.

School leaders say repeated petitions to the Ghana Education Service and other local authorities for support have yielded little response. They noted that the last major infrastructure upgrade occurred during the tenure of the late President John Atta Mills, when the administration block and some dormitories were constructed.

In light of the worsening conditions, old students have joined calls for government assistance.

Speaking during the school’s Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Week celebration, old student, lawyer and broadcaster Kwame Owusu Danso, popularly known as KOD, urged the government to prioritise the needs of the school.

He also called on fellow alumni to contribute resources towards improving facilities and supporting current students.

Addressing students on the theme “Building Futures Through Competence, Confidence and Character,” KOD encouraged them not to allow present challenges to limit their ambitions.

Reflecting on his time at the school, he said students in the past thrived despite limited resources due to their determination to succeed.

“Never allow the size of your beginning to determine the size of your future,” he advised.

He urged students to pursue excellence through discipline, integrity and hard work, stressing that education should prepare them for leadership and national development.

KOD also highlighted the importance of technical skills, engineering and problem-solving abilities, noting that Ghana needs builders and innovators to drive progress.

Other dignitaries at the programme included Lawyer Nii Kwartei Kojo Owoo, Managing and Co-Partner at Africa Law Focus in Accra, and Zeena Amini, an International Relations Consultant on Culture and Politics.

Meanwhile, school authorities and alumni continue to appeal for immediate government intervention to address the infrastructure deficits and create a more conducive learning environment for students.