Omatek Computers Ghana Limited, a member of the Omatek Ventures Plc of Nigeria, has presented laptops and desktop computers worth thousands of Cedis to beneficiaries, under the Omatek e-Xpress Scheme of the government-assisted PC programme.

Beneficiaries include civil service personnel, as well as other corporate institutions in the country.

At a colourful presentation in Accra last Thursday, the Minister of Education, Mr. Alex Tetteh Enyo, said his outfit had put in place strategies and policies aimed at keeping pace with the fast-growing Information Communication Technology (ICT), so that Ghana is not left behind.

According to him, the strategies and policies embarked on by his outfit, was a clear testimony of how the government was committed in embracing ICT in education.

“Today, we have ICT as an examinable skills development subject in our Senior High Schools. The Ministry has put in place strategies for creating an enabling environment for capacity building, to equip them with relevant knowledge and skills, which will lead to efficient management and delivery of quality education,” he noted.

He, therefore, urged teachers and lecturers in the country, to take advantage of the Omatek e-Xpress Scheme to own computers, to assist in delivering on the requirements of the new ICT syllabus, as well as have enough hands-on experience to be able to build their competencies for integrating technology in the teaching/learning process.

Mr. Tetteh Enyo said plans were far advanced for his outfit (Ministry of Education) to embark on the acquisition of needed ICT logistics for Senior High schools, following a comprehensive GAP analysis of a recently completed e-Readiness survey conducted by the Ministry of Education.

He, however, challenged all partners in the ICT industry, as well as the global community who seek to support education in Ghana, to come out with effective technology options and solutions for hardware, software, networking, connectivity, internet, training, technical support and distance education that would help the country in its efforts at deploying ICT across the education spectrum.

The Managing Director of Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki, said her outfit was committed to bridging the digital divide on the African continent, especially, Ghana, hence the introduction of the e-Xpress Scheme to enable every Ghanaian own a computer to enhance his/her knowledge in the ICT world.

Last year, Omatek, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication, launched the e-Xpress Scheme. This paved the way for Ghanaians to easily acquire and own a computer in a more flexible way.

The e-Xpress Scheme is being supported by some leading banks in the country, which makes it possible for civil servants, corporate and educational institutions, as well as students, to acquire computers through a 12-24 months payment plan.

The Scheme forms part of the Government of Ghana (GoG) assisted PC programme dubbed i-Advance.

The General Manager of Omatek Ghana Limited, Nana Benneh, said the joint initiative by the GoG and Omatek, was aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country. Source: Daniel Nonor (Email k2dan@yahoo.co.uk) - Ghanaian Chronicle