By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Dramani Mahama has cut sod for the construction of the Bole College of Education, describing the project as a “dream come true” for the people of Bole and the Savannah Region.
Speaking at the ceremony in Bole, President Mahama said the establishment of the college had been a long-standing vision dating back to his days as Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi.
“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,” he stated. “Today is a very proud moment for all of us that finally this project is coming to pass.”
The President recalled that Bole previously lacked any tertiary educational institution, forcing many students who completed Bole Secondary School to travel to other parts of the country to pursue higher education.
“At the time, Bole had no tertiary institution, so our children had to leave the area in search of tertiary training elsewhere,” he said.
President Mahama noted that efforts to improve access to higher education in the area first led to the establishment of the Nursing Training College, which has since produced several graduates now serving in Ghana’s healthcare system.
He explained that although plans for the college had begun years ago, the project stalled despite initial groundwork on the site.
“We made an effort to begin it, which is why you see the foundation here, but now we finally have funding from GETFund to bring the project to life,” he added.
According to the President, the new College of Education will have the capacity to admit about 1,500 students upon completion.
He further disclosed that government is simultaneously investing in other educational infrastructure across the Savannah Region, including a new STEM secondary school at Tinga, a TVET centre at Kulmasa, and a proposed University of Science and Technology for the region.
“All these projects are meant to help the northern regions catch up with the rest of the country,” President Mahama stressed. “We know poverty remains endemic in many of our communities, and education is one of the surest ways to empower people to take their destiny into their own hands.”
Beyond education, the President announced several infrastructure and healthcare projects for the area, including the construction of a new state-of-the-art district hospital for Bole to replace the aging facility built in the 1970s.
On road infrastructure, President Mahama said work was progressing steadily on the Wenchi-Bamboi-Bole-Sawla highway, which links Ghana to Burkina Faso through Hamile.
“We have always been ashamed of the poor state of this road,” he admitted. “But under the Big Push infrastructure programme, this road is finally receiving the serious attention it deserves.”
He also mentioned ongoing works on the Bole-Chache road to improve trade connectivity with neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire.
The President further announced plans for a modern 24-hour market in Bole, equipped with essential facilities including a police station, fire station, warehouses, kindergarten and daycare centres.
According to him, additional feeder roads will also be constructed to improve access to farming communities and boost economic activity in the area.
“There are many projects coming to improve prosperity in this particular area,” President Mahama assured residents.
