Garu DCE sends SOS message to GNAT after deadly shooting

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District Chief Executive (DCE) for Garu, John Abaare, has appealed to the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to reconsider its call on teachers to vacate the classrooms in the area following a shooting incident.

The indiscriminate shooting by unknown men claimed the lives of four people, including the headteacher of Garu D/A JHS, Yahaya Bukari, while several were also injured.

According to reports, four armed men riding on two motorcycles stormed the town and began shooting indiscriminately in broad daylight.

Mr. Bukari was fatally shot while attempting to usher his students into their classrooms upon hearing the initial gunfire, although the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

To ensure the safety of all teachers, pending further action by government, GNAT President, Rev. Isaac Owusu, has, with immediate effect, urged all teachers to flee to safety.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Abagre acknowledged the fear among teachers and pupils but stressed that the situation was not as dire as being portrayed.

“The Education Director has called me, and we are going to have a meeting with all stakeholders involved,” he said.

He confirmed that the school where the headmaster was killed has been temporarily closed but added that a District Security Council (DISEC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning would determine the next steps.

“After the DISEC meeting, we will have a formal communique or advice on the way forward,” he noted.

The DCE urged GNAT to avoid hasty decisions, assuring that the security situation was under control.

“I will appeal to GNAT that the situation is not like a war area. There is no evidence that the school or teachers were targeted, even though it was a targeted shooting,” he said.

Mr. Abaare emphasized that while the affected school community needed time to recover emotionally and psychologically, there was no indication of a broader threat against educators.

“You cannot tell the school that lost someone to immediately go back to class, but outside that, the situation is not as bad as people are thinking,” he added.

Security patrols have since been intensified in Garu as authorities work to restore calm and reassure residents and teachers of their safety.

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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