The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey has appealed to Corporate Ghana to partner with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to fix urgent infrastructural gaps in public basic schools as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Mayor Allotey made the appeal when he halted the cooking and serving of noodles to pupils during the distribution of 3,000 back-to-school packs containing exercise books, pencils, erasers, soft drinks and biscuits to welcome pupils and new entrants across the metropolis to school.

He stressed that what many schools urgently needed were “cemented floors, proper painting, secure doors and windows, desks, and adequate teaching and learning materials,” rather than temporary food gestures like noodles.

Briefing the media, Mayor Allotey said that while he appreciated the company’s intention to feed children, lasting impact would come from rehabilitating classrooms and improving learning environments.

The Mayor stressed that the episode exemplified his broader call for CSR  to be channelled into durable, high-impact projects rather than one-off publicity gestures.

He said the AMA stood ready to collaborate and facilitate transparent, accountable renovations with clear scopes and timelines to improve teaching and learning.

During an interaction with the children, he encouraged them to pray, obey their parents and teachers, as well as believe in their potentials, saying they could become “presidents, mayors, professors, and leaders” through education and perseverance.

At the Rev. Thomas Clegg Basic School, the Mayor announced personal commitments to apply a cement finish to floors and paint the kindergarten and class one classrooms, and provided funds for shoes for pupils who exhibited exceptional qualities.

He also donated to kindergarten teachers at the Kaneshie Kingsway 1 Basic School in recognition of their efforts to maintain a neat, engaging classroom with interactive, thematic displays despite limited resources.

He urged head teachers and education workers to treat every child with patience and care, saying, “Not every child is sharp, but with patience and dedication, they will learn.”

He commended Hon. Ernest Adomako, Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South Constituency for supporting school painting works, while insisting that much more needed to be done collectively.

“Some people may say, ‘The Mayor is begging for support.’ Yes, I am pleading because the only way to get people to help is to ask them sincerely, I am ready to support any company with whatever assistance they need to grow. In the same way, I expect them to join the AMA to address the challenges in our schools,” he said.

The Mayor was accompanied by the Metro Coordinating Director, Mr. Douglas N. K. Annoful, the Metro Education Director, Mrs. Justine Ivy Apawu, the Okaikoi South Sub-Metro Director,Mercy Odoi, Assembly Members and other Directors from AMA Head Office.