The Bolgatanga Senior High Technical School Known by the People as (BOTECH), this school which is found in the Upper East Region has been closed down by the Educational Regional Minister die to the riot caused by students on campus.
Information reaching us that the violence started on Monday February 15, 2021 after a conflict between final year students, which ended up in throwing of stones, leading to the destruction of school property. this incident continued throughout the whole night til Tuesday dawn amidst the firing of gunshots by the students until the police and the military came in to calm the situation.
A1 News visited the school on Monday, to make enquiries about the incident, they happen to have spoken to some and some students too were seen carrying their luggage out of the campus meanwhile others were seen in groups moving out of the campus too.
Narrating to A1 News a student said, “On the said Monday afternoon the incident happened. The fight which included two students claiming they were having personal problems and wanted to drill them out by themselves. After a while, I saw one student with his gang (colleagues) getting closer to the other group of students, they started exchanging words and throwing of stones at each other. So, there were too much noises all over the campus, so the school authorities came in and intervened. Everyone and everything when back to normal, until the evening time after ‘prep’, the students started throwing stones at each other again; beating each other, some were even holding knives and cutlasses chasing each other. They had wounded two students. Now, I do not know their whereabouts.”
Another student also said that as of Tuesday 16 February, when the Military and Police forces were in the campus to provide security and they later left the school premises in the evening.
The student said, “After the Police and Military had left the school at dawn, the students were at it again. At that time the security personnel was no where to be found except the watchman of the school who could do nothing. So, as your eyes sees, the majority of us are going home. We will not stay to hear from school authorities before we can go home. It is not safe here.
Meanwhile, on deepest research A1 News learnt that the violence was as a result of a long-standing problem between two ethnic groups (names withheld) on campus. Students of the two various ethnic groups on the campus clashed the previous year and it is believed that the main cause of this riot is based on the long-standing issue between the two groups.
The A1 News have also gathered information that during the firing of gunshots by the students, students sustained injuries and others, some female students, who also collapsed and were rushed to the hospital.
On Wednesday morning at about 6:30, A1 News visited the school, the school authorities have vacated the premises and there was no one to talk to, it was later learned that the acting Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage and key stakeholders in education in the municipality went to the school and announced its indefinite closure.
Now as we stand the state security has been patrolling the campus to make sure all the students leaves the campus in order that there would be no form of violence and destruction to school property.
Meanwhile, the Bolgatanga Municipal Security Council is currently holding a meeting with the management of school to try and resolve the matter.
Source: A1News 101.1MHZ
