President John Dramani Mahama has described the commencement of the Bole College of Education project as “a dream come true,” recalling that the initiative dates back to his time as Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the new college in Bole in the Savannah Region, the President said the project represents a major milestone in efforts to expand access to tertiary education in northern Ghana.
“This is a dream come true, because this project has been on the drawing board from when I was a member of parliament for Bole-Bamboi. Today is a very proud moment for all of us, that finally this project is coming to pass,” he stated.
President Mahama recounted how Bole previously lacked any tertiary educational institution, compelling students who completed secondary school to travel to other parts of the country to pursue higher education.
“At the time, Bole had no tertiary educational institution, so when our children finished Bole Secondary School, they had to go to all other parts of the country in order to be able to get tertiary training,” he said.
He noted that the first breakthrough came with the establishment of the nursing training college in Bole, which he said has already produced several graduates currently serving in Ghana’s public health system.
“We also planned this college of education, but things didn’t go very well, and we couldn’t start it,” he explained, adding that initial efforts had already begun, evident in the foundation works on the site.
According to the President, funding for the college has now been secured through the GETFund, paving the way for full construction to begin.
He revealed that the completed institution will accommodate about 1,500 students and form part of a broader educational transformation agenda in the Savannah Region.
“In addition to that, we are building a brand new STEM secondary school in Tinga. We are also building a new TVET center in Kulmasa for technical vocational education and training,” he announced.
President Mahama further disclosed plans for a new university dedicated to science and technology in the Savannah Region, saying he would inspect the proposed site during his regional tour.
“All these are projects meant to bring the northern regions up to catch up with the other parts of the country,” he stressed.
The President described education as a critical tool for reducing poverty and empowering communities.
“We know that poverty is endemic in our area, and education is one of the means of social mobility, getting our people to be able to take their destiny into their own hands,” he said.
Beyond education, President Mahama outlined several infrastructure projects earmarked for the area, including a new district hospital for Bole to replace the ageing facility constructed in the 1970s.
He also highlighted ongoing road construction works, particularly the Wenchi-Bamboi-Bole-Sawla road, which forms part of a key transnational corridor linking Ghana to Burkina Faso through Hamile.
“We have always been ashamed about the quality of this road. Finally, it is getting a big push to be done under the Big Push project so that we can complete it on time,” he remarked.
The President additionally announced the construction of the Bole-Chache road to improve trade relations with neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire, as well as a modern 24-hour market project for Bole.
“This afternoon, we are going to cut sod for a 24-hour market, a modern market in Bole, which will operate 24 hours a day. It will have police station, fire station, kindergarten and daycare centers, warehouses and everything in it,” he said.
President Mahama concluded by assuring residents that numerous development projects are being rolled out to improve prosperity and connectivity across the area.
“There are a lot of projects that are coming to improve the prosperity in this particular area,” he stated.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
