Residents of Chiraa in the Sunyani West Constituency of the Bono Region have strongly protested plans to convert the town’s public library into a fire service station, describing the move as a threat to education and youth development.
The Concerned Citizens of Chiraa, in a statement, accused the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Millicent Amankwa Yeboah, of taking steps to repurpose the facility without adequate consultation with the community.
According to the group, the public library has long served as a critical centre for learning, research, and intellectual growth, particularly for students and young people who rely on it as one of the few available academic resources in the area.
They argued that converting the facility into an operational base for the Ghana National Fire Service would deprive the youth of essential educational support and undermine efforts to promote academic excellence.
While acknowledging the importance of fire safety infrastructure and the vital role played by the Fire Service in protecting lives and property, residents maintained that such development should not come at the expense of educational facilities.
The group also expressed concern over what they described as a lack of stakeholder engagement prior to the decision, insisting that community members were not adequately consulted before plans to convert the building were initiated.
They are therefore demanding an immediate halt to the conversion process and calling on authorities to engage residents and other stakeholders in meaningful dialogue.
The concerned citizens further urged authorities to identify an alternative location for the fire station that would not disrupt access to educational resources, while appealing for investment to improve and expand the existing library rather than eliminate it.
They stressed that education remains the foundation of progress and warned that removing the public library would weaken the intellectual and developmental prospects of young people in Chiraa.
The group is urging government authorities and relevant institutions to reconsider the decision in the interest of the community and future generations.
