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Teong, Ghana – Founder and Executive Chairman of the McDan Group of Companies, Dr. Daniel Mckorley, has been honoured with a traditional title by the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azorka II.
The conferrment of “Naba Piini” meaning Chief of Philantropism on Dr. Daniel Mckorley followed a decision by the corporate social responsibility arm of his group, the McDan Foundation, to build an 8-unit classroom block with headteachers office and storeroom for the people of Teong, a community in the Tempane District.
Conferring the title on Dr. Mckorley on Tuesday March 5th at a short ceremony preceeding the handing over of the school, the Chief of Kpirkpira, Naba Dazuur II, who performed the traditional ceremony on behlaf of Naba Azorka, thanked the shipping magnate for his philanthropic gesture.
“On behalf of the Bawku Naba, I wish to convey our sincere heartfelt gratitude to you. We’re grateful you have come to help by teaching us how to fish and not how to eat fish. And from now onwards, we want you to be part of us so that together we can bring development to our people. So this chieftaincy title we are conferring on you is a gesture that you’re now part of us, you’re our brother, uncle, father and chief of this community and for that matter the Bawku traditional area.
“Naba Azorka II has asked me to inform you that at the appropriate time he and his elders would induct you into the Bawku Traditional Council. This is because what you have done for us is beyond our imagination and we really cherish it”, Naba Dazuur II told the McDan Group Founder and his entourage at his palace.
The Teong D/A Primary used to be a school under very terrible conditions as pupils layed on their bellies to learn owing to lack of furniture.
Besides the lack of furniture and learning materials confronting the school, lessons were held under trees.
GhOne Television report sometime June brought the plight of the school to the attention of the whole country. Few weeks after the report, a group of medical doctors donated dozens of furniture and books to the school.
But as if that was not enough, the Executive Chairman of McDan Group also send a team to the school to assess the situation. Nine months since that visit, the story of the Teong Primary School has changed dramatically.
Naba Piini Dr. Mckorley through the McDan Foundation decided to build a new school to replace the one under trees. The school has eight well furnished classrooms, a headteacher’s office and a store room for a population of about 300 pupils who used to study under trees.
Headteacher of Teong Primary School now McDan Primary School, Yidanaba Batuma Timothy recounted in an interview with Savannah News how he and his teachers and the pupils were subjected to bad weather especially during the harmattan season.
Tree Planting
Ahead of the official handing over ceremony of the school, Naba Piini and his team planted hundreds of trees aroud the school compound.
He appealed to residents of the Teong community to plant trees to serve as wind breaks to buildings and other physical infrstructure.
McDan Endowment Fund Launched
During the official handing over ceremony of the McDan D/A Primary School, Naba Piini announced an Education Endowment Fund that would seek to provide more support to communities where there no proper school infrastructure. The Fund, he said would target the construction of between 5 and 10 schools every year.
He invited captains of industry and other well-meaning Ghanains to join him to alleviate the suffering of Ghanaian children through education.
The Tempane District Chief Executive, Paul Azumah Abugri thanked the McDan Foundation for the support it provided to the people of Teong.
He said government remained committed to providing quality and affordable education to all Ghanaian children of school going age.
On his part, the Chief of Kpikpira Traditional Area, Naba Dazuur II described Naba Piini as a lifesaver and proposed that the District Assembly should name a street after the philanthropist.
He said the community was overwhelmed by the newly built befitting school block. “The school is to serve three communities where the pupils in the past were compelled to study under trees,” Naba Dazuur II disclosed.
By Savannahnewsonline.com/Philip Liebs
