News:
August 11, 2026
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has made a significant donation of thousands of pieces of furniture to pre-tertiary schools in the area, reaffirming his commitment to eradicating the chronic furniture deficit that has plagued educational institutions in the constituency.
The donation was made during the grand durbar of the 70th annual Mepe Afenorto Festival on Saturday, August 8, 2026. In a bold declaration, the MP stated that no school in North Tongu should ever again face a furniture problem, as part of his ongoing mission to create conducive learning environments for every child.
As part of the festival celebrations, Hon. Ablakwa presented 300 pieces of furniture to the chiefs, to be distributed through the local municipal assembly to pre-tertiary schools across Mepe. This initiative directly targets the severe desk and seating deficits that have forced students in the area to share furniture or endure uncomfortable learning conditions.
“We do not want to see two or three pupils crammed onto a single desk; instead, we must provide adequate furniture for every school-going child,” the MP emphasized. “This initiative proves that while I have been working hard abroad as the Foreign Affairs Minister, I have not forgotten my responsibilities here at home”.
This latest gesture is part of a broader, long-term strategy by the North Tongu MP to eliminate the “no furniture syndrome” in public schools. In previous years, Hon. Ablakwa instituted Ghana’s first-ever Furniture and Footwear Bank (FFB) in the constituency, a pioneering model designed to maintain a constant store of thousands of furniture and footwear for free, year-round distribution. The bank was established to ensure a sustainable supply, targeting a stock of at least 5,000 pieces of school furniture at all times.
“It is deeply humbling to establish that our model allows for North Tongu to now have a constant store of thousands of furniture and footwear for free distribution to those who need them all-year-round,” Hon. Ablakwa had previously stated.
The MP, who has served the North Tongu Constituency since 2013, has a track record of investing in education. He has previously donated furniture to Senior High Schools, including Battor SHS and Mepe St. Kizito SHS, as well as provided mattresses and chop boxes to newly admitted students.
Beyond furniture, Hon. Ablakwa used the festival platform to outline other major developmental projects underway in the constituency, including the ongoing construction of the first-class Sege-Aveyime-Battor-Mepe asphalted road network and the secured funding for the long-awaited Volivo-Dorfor-Adidome bridge. He also donated a cash sum of GH¢15,000.00 on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama to support the Mepe Traditional Area.
The donation has been hailed by local chiefs and educators as a critical intervention that will immediately alleviate the furniture shortage and improve the quality of education for thousands of pupils in the North Tongu District.
Ghanamps.com