The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has ordered a partial closure of the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) after a fire completely destroyed a girls’ dormitory on Wednesday afternoon.
The directive, announced by Regional Minister Alhaji Ali Adolf John, requires specific groups of students to return home to address an immediate accommodation crisis.
The blaze gutted the dormitory housing students from Aggrey, Arthur, Ali, and Gbewaa houses. Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service battled the inferno for hours before bringing it under control.
The building and nearly all its contents including beds, mattresses, books, uniforms, and personal belongings were lost. No casualties were reported, as the fire occurred while students were in class.
Outlining a phased management plan, Alhaji Ali Adolf John stated, “Considering the circumstances, we have no option but to ask all second-year students to go home. Heavily affected third-year students will also go home, while the remaining third-years will be relocated to the second-year dormitory.”
He provided a clear timeline for return: “Third-year students will return by Sunday. The rest of you will return on the 8th of February.”
Reports indicate that distressed students rushed back to the burning building in a frantic attempt to salvage their possessions as the fire spread.
The directive aims to manage the immediate accommodation shortage and student trauma while authorities plan remediation. School and regional officials are now focused on executing the relocation, investigating the fire’s cause, and preparing for the students’ phased return.