Resource complex in honour of President Mills

The African Trust, a non-governmental institution based in Tokyo, Japan is building a 60,000-dollar children's resource complex in honour of President John Atta Mills at Ekumfi Nanabin, his father's hometown.

The complex, which is expected to be fully operational by December this year, will comprise a 150-seater library, and Information and Communication Technology centre that could seat up to 40 people.

Madam Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister, broke the ground to mark the formal start of the construction work and expressed the hope that the facility would help propel learning among children in the area.

She expressed worry about the long teaching period used by teachers pursuing distant education saying the situation was a contributor to the falling standard of education in the region.

Madam Benyiwa-Doe held that since the two universities offering distance education are located in the Central Region, many teachers only applied for transfers there in order to run the course, which they often did at the expense of their classroom work.

She appealed to the management of the two universities - University of Cape Coast and University of Education, Winneba – as well as the Ghana Education Service, to review the academic calendar for the course so that it does not “eat too much” into school hours.

She urged the students to study for their examinations by reading their texts rather than relying on unauthorised or leaked questions.

Reverend Heldad Bonney of the Methodist Church in Winneba said the African Trust was motivated to undertake the project by the humility of President Mills.

“We have decided to site the project at his father's hometown to encourage the children there to cultivate the habit of reading and grow to become scholars with a calibre such as President Mills,” he said and expressed the hope that they will see the President as a mentor and strive hard to be like him.