Learners at the Issa Technical Institute in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa district of the Upper West Region staged a protest on the night of Friday, September 5, 2025, regarding the poor quality of meals served by the school authorities.
The unrest began when students accused the management of consistently providing them with non-nutritious food, primarily made from flour, along with insufficient portions that were negatively affecting their health.
In a demonstration of their frustration, the students boycotted their Friday meals and began pelting stones at the management. They also vandalized the residences of the Principal and the school accountant, all while chanting their grievances.
Fred Dwamina Amoaku, Principal of Issa Technical Institute, shared his experiences during the incident.
“Yesterday, around 5:30 pm, I had a complaint that the students had refused their meals. We call for a management meeting to find out why. I was told that the food was too small, and quickly, management met to go and meet the students to find a substitute to resolve the problem, but the students refused to meet the staff. They turned off their lights and started pelting stones at us,” he narrated.
“Around 1:00, the students went to the Principal’s bungalow to vandalise the whole place, and proceeded to do the same at the residence of the accountant. They picked up his laptop. They later broke into the school’s store room and made away with a large quantity of Mackerel, milk, and a very large quantity of sardines,” Amoaku added.
James Wor, the District Chief Executive for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa and Chairman of the District Security Council (DISEC), confirmed the incident and strongly condemned the riot.
He immediately visited the scene and instructed the Principal to take immediate steps to improve the meal quality, acknowledging that the abandoned food he saw was indeed inadequate. “I’m demoralized by what I witnessed,” he stated.
The DCE also mentioned that a committee has been established to investigate the disturbances, as students are not only complaining about the food but also about allegations of management charging unapproved fees.
He said preliminary engagement also revealed that the Principal has had a strained relationship with majority of his staff, which has affected his standing with the community as well.
He assured that the committee would address all these matters to restore order in the school. Meanwhile, calm has returned to the Institute.
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