Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) and Vitting Senior High School (VSEC) in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region, have been temporarily closed down after the students clashed over a controversial penalty in football match.
The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Alhaji Mohammed Haroun Cambodia ordered the closure following violent attacks from students of the two schools.
[contextly_sidebar id=”JdTWKNFvuwf6quf901DIcf9D8aeMEwm9″]Citi News’ Abdul Karim Naatogmah, spoke to Mr. Cambodia who revealed that students of Vitting Secondary Shool set fire to beds at GHANASCO after the match.
“The Vitting students went to burn beds. GHANASCO packed their beds at the VSEC yard which now belongs to GHNASCO and the Vitting students went and burnt the beds, wooden beds.”
This provoked the GHANASCO students who sneaked into the Vitting school to attempt to set one of their dormitories on fire.
“The GHANASCO students also went at dawn to burn the Vitting Senior high school dormitory but because of the vigilance of the Vitting senior high school students who didn’t sleep because they knew there could be a reprisal attack,” Mr Cambodia said.
Some students were injured during the failed arson attack but have been treated and discharged by the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
Mr Cambodia stated that the schools had to be closed down to protect lives and property.
“The way things were going, I realized that there was no peace, there was no security and I couldn’t guarantee even tonight what would have happened if the students had stayed on the premise; so my decision was that the schools should be closed down temporarily.”
He however noted that the final year students were asked to stay on because of preparations for the upcoming WASSCE examination.
“We sympathized with the final year students because they are writing their mock [exams] and very soon their final exams will take place and therefore we said they shouldn’t go home.”
Three students from GHANASCO were arrested for the failed arson attack and are currently assisting police with investigations. There are also police patrols ongoing to ensure security on both premises.
In recent times, there have been several reports of rioting by students particularly in the Northern part of the country, which in most cases led to the closure of the schools.
In most cases, the cause of the rioting were issues considered trivial.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Photos by Abdul Karim Naatogmah