Dormaa holds fundraising durbar in aid of Education Fund

Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has reiterated the need for parents to take the responsibility for the education and total development of their children.

“Education is the most memorable legacy that parents can bequeath to their children in the present technological era to make them independent and nationalistic,” he held.

Mr Baffour-Awuah was delivering the keynote address at a durbar to climax this year's fund raising activities by the Dormaa State in aid of the Dormaaman Educational Endowment Fund.

The durbar, held under the patronage of Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, was jointly facilitated by the Dormaa Traditional Council and the Dormaa Ahenkro Local Council of Churches.

Mr. Baffour-Awuah said the government had not only demonstrated its commitment to an improvement in education by rolling out the new educational reforms but had also placed emphasis on some hitherto less regarded academic programmes including the acquisition of technical and vocational skills.

This, he said, has also lessened the drudgery that confronted technical and vocational students to the tertiary level of education.

He urged traditional authorities, religious bodies, parents and civil society to complement government efforts in drawing quality education to the doorsteps of the ordinary Ghanaian.

He commended the Dormaahene and the Dormaa Traditional Council for their foresight and determination to assist brilliant but needy students in the area and said the move should open the door to well-meaning groups and individuals at home and abroad to contribute to the sustenance of the fund.

Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu announced that subsequent fund-raising durbars in aid of the fund would rotate among major communities in the Dormaa State beginning next year.

He appealed to politicians and aspiring candidates conduct their campaigns in an atmosphere of peace, maturity and decorum.

“The (Dormaa Traditional) Council is ready to cooperate and work with whoever emerges victorious at the 2008 polls and our wish is that the relative peace prevailing in the country will not be tampered with,” the Omanhene added.

Barima Oppong Kyeremeh Sikafour, chairman of the Endowment Fund and chief of Dormaa-Akwamu, announced that the fund since its inception in 2000 had provided financial support for 879 students.

He said a total of GHC25,469 was shared among 68 Primary school pupils, 298 Junior High students, 292 Senior High students and 211 tertiary students.

A total of GH¢22,804 was raised at the durbar to support the DORMEEF Fund.