The Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale in Ghana’s Northern Region, has renovated and handed over the ground floor of a 3-storey dormitory block at St. Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School in Tamale which was ravaged by an inferno six years ago.
The renovated floor comprised of seven rooms, two rooms for students’ “chop boxes”, sanitary facilities and accommodation for two teachers.
On March 21, 2017, fire gutted the St. Charles Lwanga, St. Augustine and Mukasa halls, leaving in its wake burnt mattresses, beds, “chop boxes”, trunks, books and other properties belonging to the students. No casualties was recorded but a total of 503 students were affected by the fire outbreak which took officers of the Ghana National Fire Service who deployed three fire tenders, a water tanker and a recovery truck, more than three hours to bring under control.
The school was again rocked by two fire outbreaks on March 25, 2019 and August 15, 2021, which caused similar damage to another dormitory and classroom block and resulted in the burning of properties and displaced many students.
In a related development, the 2003 Old Students of St. Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School (SCOBA), have renovated a science laboratory block which had been in a deplorable condition for many years.
The handing over ceremonies of the two projects coincided with the Patron Feast Day (St. Charles Borromeo) and 70th anniversary celebrations of the school.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, led a team of dignitaries to inspect work done. The team included the Boting Naa of Savelugu, Mahamadu Abdulai, who represented the Yoo-Naa (Paramount Chief of Savelugu Traditional Area) Andani Yakubu Abdulai, Mr. Sule Salifu, Mayor of Tamale, Very Rev. Fr. Hilary Pogbeyir, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese, Hajia Katumi Natogmah Atta, the Northern Regional Director of Education, among others. The Archbishop later blessed the projects.
Speaking after receiving the keys to the renovated dormitory block from the Project Consultant on Saturday, December 16, 2023, the Headmaster, Mr. Thomas Gbolo Toma, expressed his appreciation to the Archdiocese for coming to their aid. He appealed that while funding is sought to renovate the whole storey building, urgent action be taken to fix its roof as it has been exposed to the vagaries of the weather since the fire outbreak.
During a ceremony to hand over the renovated science laboratory earlier, Mr. Rasheed Ignatius Mamudu Akemo, the President of SCOBA 2003, said the gesture was their widow’s mite to support their Alma Mater.
In 2006, the 1996 batch of SCOBA constructed the school’s entrance tower block and thus began what has since become a tradition by successive year groups who identify and execute a project at their Alma Mater and upon completion, hands it over to the school to coincide with its Patron Feast Day which is usually celebrated on November 4 by the Universal Church.
The 1997 batch followed suit by donating a public address system while the 1998 batch started a biogas project. The 1999 batch renovated another science laboratory, provided a distiller, fire and smoke detectors with the 2000 batch renovating a 3-unit classroom block and an office. SCOBA 2001 renovated another 3-unit classroom block while their 2002 counterparts also renovated a library and computer laboratory block.
St. Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School, the second oldest secondary school in the then northern territories, was established in 1953 at Wiaga in the Builsa North Municipality by the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) with only 12 students before it was relocated to Tamale in 1955. The school has a current enrolment of 761 students with 59 teaching and 27 non-teaching staff.
The school has produced four Prelates for the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province namely, Most Revs. Paul Bemile, Bishop Emeritus of Wa Diocese, the late Lucas Adadamloora of Navrongo Bolgatanga Diocese, Philip Naameh and Peter Paul Angkyier of Damongo Diocese, as well as hundreds of Priests, Religious men and people of various professional backgrounds.
Some of its prominent lay former students include the Yoo-Naa, Mr. Peter Nanfuri, a former Inspector General of Police, Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dean of Ghana School of Law, Professor Zachary Yamba, President Emeritus of Essex County College, New Jersey, USA, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and Minister for Defense, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, among others.
