Students and management of Adidome Senior High School have received a major boost following the commissioning of a mechanised borehole project by Republic Bank Ghana to address the school’s long-standing water challenges.

The project, commissioned at a ceremony attended by government officials, traditional leaders and education authorities, is expected to provide reliable water supply for students and staff after months of severe water shortages that forced students to trek long distances in search of water.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, described the intervention as timely and crucial, noting that the Volta Region continues to face significant water challenges.

According to him, the water crisis in the region remains a major concern, revealing that the government has directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to drill at least ten boreholes annually through the District Assemblies Common Fund to help address the situation.

He disclosed that statistics available to the Regional Coordinating Council indicate that the Volta Region requires more than 900 mechanized boreholes to adequately meet the water needs of schools, institutions and communities.

Mr Gunu recalled that the water crisis at Adidome SHS became critical after the Community Water and Sanitation Agency disconnected the school’s water supply over unpaid bills.

He stated that efforts were subsequently made to engage stakeholders and corporate institutions to support the government in addressing the challenge.

According to him, the National Security Secretariat was the first institution engaged to support the drilling of boreholes in parts of the region before Republic Bank also stepped in to support Adidome SHS and Taviefe Senior High School.

The Regional Minister praised Republic Bank for what he described as a “miracle intervention,” especially after initial challenges in locating underground water at the project site.

He further appealed to the school authorities to ensure proper maintenance of the facility by engaging technicians and plumbers to regularly service the system.

Mr Gunu also announced plans by the Central Tongu District Assembly to construct a large water reservoir on campus to improve water storage capacity and support the growing student population.

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government and corporate institutions to address water shortages across schools in the region, revealing that all six Colleges of Education in the Volta Region had also appealed to the Regional Coordinating Council for assistance over water challenges.

The Chief of Adidome, Togbe Kwasinyi Kakaklolo Agyemang IV, also commended Republic Bank for responding swiftly to the plight of the students.

He noted that the water crisis had become a source of concern to residents and authorities after videos of students walking long distances in search of water surfaced online.

The chief urged students and school authorities to take ownership of the facility and ensure proper maintenance to guarantee its sustainability.

“Take good care of it the same way you treasure your personal belongings because this facility is very important to your education and wellbeing,” he advised.

The District Chief Executive for Central Tongu, Edison Monyuie, disclosed that plans were underway to construct a large reservoir system on campus to harvest and store water for future use.

He said the Assembly, together with the Member of Parliament for the area, was committed to ensuring that students remain on campus and have access to uninterrupted water supply for academic activities.

Managing Director of Republic Bank Ghana, Dr Benjamin Dzoboku, indicated that the bank decided to intervene after reports emerged about the school’s worsening water situation.

He said Republic Bank, as a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considers access to water as a critical development priority under its corporate social responsibility agenda.

“We saw young students trekking long distances to fetch water after the school’s supply was disconnected. Water is life, and we believe communities we serve must benefit from access to safe water,” he stated.

Dr Dzoboku described the commissioning as a “day of relief” for the school after years of suffering from water shortages.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster of Adidome SHS, Dr Vincent Kwasi Atiku, expressed gratitude to Republic Bank, the Regional Minister, the DCE and all stakeholders who contributed to resolving the school’s water crisis.

According to him, the situation had severely affected academic work as students spent several hours roaming communities in search of water.

“With this intervention, students will now have enough time to focus on their studies instead of searching for water,” he said.

Dr Atiku expressed optimism that academic performance in the school would improve significantly following the intervention.

He, however, appealed for additional support to address other pressing infrastructure challenges facing the school, including inadequate classroom blocks, dormitories and metal bunk beds for students.

According to him, some students currently sleep on the floor due to the shortage of beds, exposing them to mosquito bites and other health risks.