YENDI, September 19, 2026 — The Member of Parliament for Yendi Constituency, Hon. Alhassan Abdul Fatawu Jofa Esq., has presented mattresses and chop boxes to 150 newly admitted Senior High School (SHS 1) students from across the Yendi Municipality to support their transition from basic to second-cycle education.
The presentation took place at the Yendi Community Centre on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and brought together students, parents, teachers, opinion leaders and other community stakeholders.
The beneficiaries were selected from 50 basic schools across the municipality, comprising 40 public and 10 private schools, with three top-performing students from each school selected for the support.
The selection process was undertaken by the Ghana Education Service (GES), following a request from the MP to ensure that all schools and communities were represented and that the exercise was based on academic merit rather than political considerations.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Head of Supervision at the GES, Mr. Abubakari Ismail, said the MP instructed the municipal directorate to compile the list of eligible students who had recently completed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
“He came to the municipal directorate and asked us to collate the list of BECE students who had just completed, and that we should make sure that it touches every school,” Mr. Ismail said.
“Some of us, if I tell you my history, I had to sit in the house for one year just between this period and then the next stage,” he recounted.
Hon. Jofa explained that the initiative was aimed at reducing some of the financial difficulties parents face when their children transition to senior high school.
Drawing from his own experience, the MP recalled that financial constraints had once prevented him from reporting to school immediately after completing his basic education.
He said the intervention was intended to provide practical assistance to students and their families as they prepared to begin a new phase of their education.
“So we met them today, 150 students, to give them mattresses and chop boxes just to aid them in their preparation towards school,” he stated.
Hon. Jofa urged the beneficiaries to remain focused, disciplined and committed to their studies, expressing the hope that the support would help inspire them to pursue their educational aspirations.
He encouraged the students to work hard to become professionals who would contribute to the development of Yendi and Ghana.
“At the end, I am expecting to produce medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses and many more professionals from among you who will serve Yendi and Ghana at large,” he said.
The MP also emphasised that the selection was conducted independently by the GES, stressing that neither he, the Municipal Chief Executive, nor the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its executives influenced the selection of beneficiaries.
“The MP, the MCE, the party chairman, the party and its officials do not have any hands on how they were selected,” he said.
He further assured the gathering of his continued commitment to supporting education in the constituency, including initiatives such as scholarships, learning materials and mentorship opportunities.
Parents and guardians expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing the support as timely, particularly given the financial pressures confronting many families.
Teachers and community leaders also welcomed the initiative and called for continued collaboration among stakeholders to improve educational outcomes and create opportunities for young people in the municipality.
The event ended with the beneficiaries receiving their items as they prepared to begin their SHS education, with the MP urging them to make effective use of the opportunity and strive for academic excellence.
