The Kassena Nankana Municipal Conference of Heads of Basic Schools (COHBS) on Thursday, February 19, held a colourful send-off ceremony in honour of retired and outgoing headteachers in the municipality.
The event, which took place at the Upper Solar Guest House in Navrongo, paid special tribute to Rev. Fr. Lawrence Dery Kogh Zievie, who has retired from active service as headteacher of the Presbyterian School after years of dedicated service.
Other members who are exiting the conference due to promotions and transitions into new roles within and outside the Ghana Education Service were also recognised.
Addressing the gathering, the Chairman of COHBS in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, Emmanuel Adiga Dijera, described teaching as the lifeline of the human race, underscoring the critical role educators play in national development.
“I personally see the teaching profession as the lifeline of the human race. The state of our society today is largely the result of the work of teachers in the past, and the next move of our nation will equally be shaped by the teachers currently in the system,” he stated.
Adiga expressed the conference’s profound gratitude to the outgoing members for their commitment and hard work over the years. He urged them to serve as worthy ambassadors of COHBS in their new endeavours.
“You are now ambassadors of COHBS. Wherever you find yourselves, you will be representing this conference. I have no doubt that you will continue to make positive impacts,” he added.
The Kassena Nankana Municipal Director of Education, Thomas Kanlisi, who served as the guest of honour, congratulated the retirees and outgoing members. He encouraged teachers not to view retirement as the end of active life.
“In the past, retirement was seen as a death certificate, but that is no longer the case. Retirement is like resigning from one job and moving on to another.”
“Though our brother has exited his role as headteacher, he will now be even more active in his ministry,” Kanlisi noted.
He further advised teachers to consider engaging in business ventures alongside their professional duties to ensure a smoother transition and financial stability upon retirement.
Highlights of the ceremony included the presentation of citations and gifts to honour the outgoing members for their years of dedicated service.
In response, the honourees expressed heartfelt appreciation to the conference for the recognition and prayed for the continued growth and impact of COHBS in the municipality.
The other outgoing members recognised at the event include Agale Mark Phillip Akolbire, now serving as a School Improvement Support Officer (SISO); Kokora Wilfred Alagenona, SISO; Wobi Maxwell Devadani, now in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Education Directorate; and Ananga Caesar Wekem, SISO.
Also honoured were Samuel Aboko, now Municipal Director of NADMO; Ayesiyinga Robert Akantaba Ajwawuki, SHS Coordinator; Paul Awe Abdulai, Kasena Nankana West District Human Resource Manager; Wecheng Sylvia Kudayirane, now a teacher at Navrongo Senior High School; and Ignatius Azageseya Akibase, North East Regional Programme Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency.
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