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25.04.2004 Education

Wassa Fiase Traditional Council sets aside 10% of royalties for education

25.04.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Winneba (C/R), April 25, GNA - The Wassa Fiase Traditional Council in the Western Region, has set aside 10 percent of the minerals and timber royalties paid to it by the government annually for the promotion of tertiary education in the area.
Osagyefo Kwamina Enimil VI, Omanhene of the area and president of the Council, announced this at the inauguration of the University of Education branch of Wassa Fiase Students Union at Winneba at the weekend.
Osagyefo Enimil said members of the traditional council were fully aware of the commendable efforts being made by some hard working students in the area to attain higher standards of education to assist in the effective development of the Wassa West District and would do everything within their capabilities to encourage them to achieve their objectives.
He called for unity, co-operation and mutual understanding among members of the various branches of the Wassa Fiase Students Union to enable them to come out with more useful ideas that would accelerate the development of education in the area. Osagyefo Enimil donated eight million cedis to the Union to support its activities and assured that efforts would be made to strengthen the Special Osagyefo Education Fund the Council has set up for more students to benefit.
He further assured members of the Union that proposals made to the Council through him would be seriously taken into consideration to make Wassa Fiase Traditional set up one of the leading educational districts or community in the country.
Mr Emmanuel Ayensu, District Chief Executive for Wassa Fiase/Mpoho, also announced special education package for junior and senior secondary school students and charged parents in the area to encourage their children to study hard to enable them to benefit from the scheme. Both the District Chief Executive and the Omanhene blamed the low standard of education in the area on "galamsey" and other issues and promised to team up with the Union and other stakeholders in the district to reverse the rend.
He disclosed that reports reaching his office indicate that HIV/AIDS was gaining strong roots in the district and cautioned people in the district to exercise greater precaution towards sexual contacts.
In a welcoming address, the president of the University of College of Education Winneba (UCEW) branch of the Wassa Fiase Students Union, Mr Isaac Bimpeh, announced a number of proposals to the Omanhene and the District Chief Executive for consideration by the traditional council and the district assembly to facilitate education in the district. They include the need for district assemblies in the Wassa Districts to set aside 10 percent of their common fund and mineral royalties towards the creation of special education fund, which would be kept in separate account.
Mr Bimpeh further suggested that the administration of the Osagyefo Education Fund should be done on what he described "fast track" lines to enable beneficiaries obtain the money in good time to support their educational programmes.
Mr Daniel Amankwaah, Secretary to the branch Union, said one of the objectives of the Union was to sensitise chiefs and parents in the area to educate the people on government policies, especially education. According to Mr. Amankwaah, the Union would join forces with traditional authorities in the area to wage a relentless war on "galamsey" and other activities, which militate against educational advancement of the area.


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