"Dollar a Month for Ghana" contributes towards dev't

Ghanaians in Freetown contribute to build Ghana

"Dollar a Month for Ghana", a project under which Ghanaians resident in Freetown, Sierra Leone, contribute towards the development of Ghana, on Monday donated 300 dual-desks and 2,000 spectacles all valued at 124 million cedis to the government.

Making the presentation through the Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Ghana's High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere said the "Dollar a Month for Ghana" was in the form of contribution of one dollar a month by Ghanaians in Freetown toward development projects in Ghana.

The contributors were made up of professionals, the fishing community and soldiers working with UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

He said the project was in response to the call by President John Agyekum Kufuor to Ghanaian Missions abroad to focus on economic diplomacy. He said the Ghana High Commission in Freetown had launched several other initiatives in that direction.

The High Commissioner said the project, which was launched by the Minister of Defence on February 12, last year, had as by March 12 this year yielded 20,000 dollars.

He thanked Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, outgoing Foreign Minster, Brigadier Samuel Odotei, Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, who was the Commander of the Ghanaian contingent in Sierra Leone when the project was launched, and successive Commanding Officers of troops in Sierra Leone, who made various contributions toward the project.

Dr Addo Kufuor observed that Ghana's dependence on foreign aid could be minimised if citizens abroad contributed to the country's development.

He, therefore, suggested to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider setting up a division to encourage and organise Ghanaians staying abroad to help with the nation's development.

The Ghana Armed Forces Educational Unit would receive 200 dual desks. Schools at Burma Camp would get 100 while Ho Mortar Regiment Primary School and Sunyani Liberation Barracks Primary School were allocated 50 dual desks each.

The Ghana Education Service would receive 100 dual desks. Fifty each would go to a primary school in Afram Plains South in the Eastern Region and a primary school in the Jirapa-Lambussie District in the Upper West Region.

The Ghana Eye Secretariat would receive the 2,000 spectacles for school children in four districts in the Western and Central Regions.