Assemblies support needy but brilliant children – Alitu

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are mandated to support needy but brilliant students and not students of the affluence in society.

Mr Isaac Alitu, Wa East District Chief Executive who made the observation said some parents expected the assemblies to educate their children in tertiary institutions to the detriment of the needy students.

“If the practice continues, some assemblies would be compelled to stop sponsoring students because of the huge financial cost,” he added.

Mr Alitu was addressing a Youth Dialogue Forum organized by National Youth Council for personnel of Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the assemblies, to explain government's policies and programmes to the youth as part of good governance.

It was attended by students from Junior, Senior High Schools, Tertiary institutions and youth associations in Wa Municipality.

Mr Alitu noted that most of those who appealed to the assemblies for sponsorship refused to pay property rates and other levies to the assemblies, making it difficult for them to live up to expectation in the provision of development projects.

Mr David Yakubu, Upper West Regional Coordinating Director, said government policies were to improve the welfare and development of the youth and pointed out that any country that failed to develop the youth could not develop in future.

He advised the youth to be law abiding to promote peace and unity to move the development of the country forward, while they used Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Wing Commander Eric Dakuroh (rtd), Nadowli District Chief Executive expressed concern about the behaviour of the youth that was variance with traditional norms and practices because most of them sought advice from their peers.

He urged the youth play their expected roles to benefit from government's policies and programmes.

Mr Salifu Baluwie, Sissala West District Chief Executive urged the youth to take their secondary school education serious because it was the deciding point in their lives.

He appealed to them to educate their parents to pay tax to the assemblies instead of wasting their monies on trivial issues.

Some of the youth appealed to government to improve the conditions of service of teachers in rural areas to attract more teachers.

They also called on government to ensure the boarding grants for Senior High Schools in the north were regular in order not to affect education.