Following a series of reports by Citi News on the invasion of Oterkpolu R/C Basic School in the Yilo Krobo Municipality by bats, snakes and other reptiles, the management of Zoomlion Ghana Limited this morning moved to the school to fumigate the school and its surroundings.
The over 500 pupils and teachers at the school have, for years, been battling with bats, snakes and other dangerous reptiles in their cracked, dilapidated school building on a daily basis, while responsible agencies looked on unconcerned with their plight.
With the students of the school on vacation, some residents who saw the team from Zoomlion at the school’s compound, joined them to lend their support to the exercise.
The fumigation exercise, which lasted for more than three hours saw about 4,000 bats killed, with thousands more escaping through the holes in the roof of the building.
The Regional Head of Environmental and Sanitation in the Eastern Region, Maxwell Agbosu, said the exercise had become necessary after they heard earlier reports of the situation on Citi FM.
“After we heard the second report of their plight on Citi FM we were touched and today we decided to come and also support them. So we have applied chemicals to the whole building, these are very strong chemicals which will ward off the bats and also neutralize the stench here.”
“Upon arrival at the entrance of the school, we smelt the bad odour emanating from the school. We are surprised how they have managed to live in such conditions all this while so the chemicals we are applying will handle the stench and keep the bats away. We also came with chemicals which will be used to spray the whole school compound to also kill and drive away snakes and other reptiles hiding around,” he said
The chief of Oterkpolu, Nene Christian Onyemi Omesu, who was happy about the fumigation exercise called for government support to ensure that the dilapidated structure sees a facelift.
“I am the chief of Oterkpolu and my school here is in a bad state, school kids always kill snakes on a regular basis and it is very scary and worrying for us. When snakes invade the school, the kids run away and never return again, when it rains it floods the school because of the leaks and holes in the roof”.
“We are happy Zoomlion is here but am pleading with the government to come and rehabilitate the school building for our children to be safe and feel comfortable learning.”
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana