Ghanaian MP Kofi Arko Nokoe has presented 600 desks to the Municipal Education Directorate for distribution to 54 schools in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency.
The handover took place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, as schools across the municipality continue to deal with a furniture shortage that has forced some pupils to sit on classroom floors.
The consignment includes single, dual and double desks and was supplied through a central government contract. Mr Nokoe said the shortage reflected a wider national problem linked to deforestation.
“Furniture is so problematic because Ghana as a country, we’ve been cutting down our trees for charcoal and others,” he said. “So, when it comes to furniture, it is a problem from Amenle to even in the North.”
He said he hoped future contracts would be awarded at constituency level, allowing local carpenters to contribute to the design and benefit economically, while also improving quality control. The current contract, he noted, had resulted in steel being used in the desk mouldings.
Mr Nokoe also raised concerns about a lack of teachers in the constituency. He said some teachers accepted postings to Amenle, its surrounding communities and Jomoro, but soon applied for transfers.
He appealed to residents to help create conditions that would encourage teachers to remain in the area and teach “from their hearts”.
The MP praised teachers for their commitment to preparing future leaders and recalled a top-notch teachers’ award ceremony held last year in partnership with the Municipal Chief Executive. He also commended the Municipal Director of Education for working in one of the “most difficult constituencies in terms of composition and boundaries”.
Several education projects are also under way, including a six-unit school block at Dibolase, where the community has never had a decent school structure, as well as construction work at Bekoase, Aborleum and other locations.
A GetFund-approved boarding facility is planned for Jomoro Senior High School, while plans are also in place for a modern workshop at Axim Technical Institute.
Assuring schools not included in the latest distribution, Mr Nokoe said the Municipal Director had created structures to ensure all schools benefited over time. “It is a step-by-step thing,” he said.
Municipal Education Director Nathaniel Affum described furniture as an essential input for learning outcomes.
“You need the furniture to produce results. If you don’t have any place to sit, how do we even learn?” he said.
Mr Affum said the municipality still had a furniture deficit but believed the donation would “stop the gap to a greater extent”. He thanked Mr Nokoe and the MCE, Hon. Herbert Kwofie Dickson, saying they had worked together on similar support in previous years.
He added that the MP had also supported education by sponsoring mock examinations and BECE competitions.
Sonyu Isaac, a student at Axim Technical Institute, said some pupils had been forced to sit on the floor to write and that the lack of desks had contributed to some dropping out.
The distribution is expected to begin immediately, with the Municipal Education Directorate using a prepared list to allocate the 600 desks among the 54 schools.
