“A country that does not honor its heroes is not worth dying for” as the saying goes.
Rev. Father Josef Rener
Many are wealthy, but decide to make their personal lives and their families better but the same is not attributed to a retired German Roman Catholic Priest cum a philanthropist who before and after retiring from active work has decided to use his resources for the betterment and or the development of a “foreign” land.
The people of Chamba as a way of saying “thank you for your love for us” are set to appreciate Rev. Father in a grand style in a grand program on November 4, 2017, for his development agenda for the area
[ads]Chamba is the second largest town in the Nanumba North District of the Northern Region.The only started to receive developmental projects after receiving the German Roman Catholic Priest cum a philanthropist Rev. Father Josef Rener who in 1970s came there for a missionary work in the Catholic Church. In Partnership with the Yendi Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, the Rev. Father has brought significant Developments both in physical, spiritual and human to the entire Chamba and its environs over the years.
Rev.Father Josef Rener was the first Catholic priest to come to Chamba in 1970s and is credited with establishing Holy Spirit Parish of the R/C Church. He subsequently established a health center: St.Joseph Clinic and Maternity Home in the town to augment the then only District Clinic in Bimbilla (Now Bimbilla Hospital) and to provide health care to the people. It is good to note that, the priest further established St.Joseph’s Schools in Gungumpaab which can boast of over 70% of graduates and intellectuals in Chamba and beyond who now occupy positions of honor including the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla cum the current Ghana’s Minister of Defense: Dominic Bingab Nitiwul
Rev. Fr. then returned to Germany to continue his priestly career for some period. During this period, tom, dick and harry were continued to remember him for his good work thinking that he may not come back. They were however surprised that the priest after his retirement decided to come back to Ghana to continue his developmental projects as follows:
ESTABLISHMENT OF A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Rev.Father Joseph Rener in Collaboration with the Catholic Diocese of Yendi in 2009 established the first Senior High School in the town: Holy Spirit Senior High School with modern infrastructural facilities and became a resident Chaplain to the School till now. This did not end his ambition and the zeal to develop, he again established a Junior High School: St.Francis Junior High School, a Primary School (Bishop Vincent Primary and a Kindergarten ). These institutions have given jobs to many of the residents and beyond.
Pic: Excerpt of some infrastructural facilities of Holy Spirit SHS.
DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Rev.Father through his Schools have employed and sponsors most students who have financial challenges throughout their courses of study in Both Junior High School and Senior High School and sometimes into tertiary institutions. Most of the graduates of his schools are now pursuing various programs in Tertiary institutions across the country.
It is as a result of this that the people of the town want to as a cultural demand in Ghana appreciates and to register their heartfelt gratitude to his philanthropic gesture and to honor him with the chieftaincy title Development Chief.
We say in advance Rev. Father Rener: “Uwumbɔr Nbiin apu” May God bless you
Story by Abraham Njonaan Nlenkiba/Chamba.