Chiefs plead for completion of Zini Community Day SHTS

Zini, (U/W), April 21, GNA - The Chiefs and people of the Buwa Traditional Area are pleading with the government not to abandon work on the Community Day Senior High Technical School (SHTS) at Zini but ensure its speedy completion for the benefit of the people.

The Chiefs and people of the area are of the believe that the completion of the project would enable school children from the area to fully take advantage of the government's laudable free SHS policy to educate themselves.

Kuoro Barecheh Nlowie Baninye II, Acting President of the Buwa Traditional Council, made the appeal during the seventh annual celebration of the 'Buwaala Kelwie' Festival at Zini in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.

He noted that with the government's proactive approach to development projects, they were hopeful that the project would receive the necessary attention to aid its fast completion to allow for admissions in September for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Kuoro Baninye II who is also the Divisional Chief of Niator community hinted that plans were far advance to establish an educational fund for the Traditional Area to cater for brilliant but needy students who would be entering the school when it opened.

He once again appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to create a center for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Zini to curtail the nervousness parents and candidates often go through during examination periods.

The Acting President of the Buwa Traditional Council mentioned peace and unity among chiefs and people of the area; the institution of the Buwa Youth Parliament; the establishment of a Customary Land Secretariat at Zini among others as some of the achievements chalked as a result of the celebration of the festival.

Mr. Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, thanked the Chiefs and people of the area for instituting the festival which had helped in fostering peace and unity among people in the Traditional Area.

He said the theme for this year celebration: 'Transforming Our Society through Education - the Role of Stakeholders' was most appropriate especially at a time when educational standards in the region continued to fall.

Mr. Chinnia noted that the importance of education could not be overemphasized as it was the sure way of equipping people with skills, knowledge and confidence to make a difference in the transformation of society.

He said government would not renege on the promises made during the last elections such as the free SHS policy and other social interventions to improve on the living standards of the people.

The Deputy Regional Minister announced that government had not only reduced the cost of fertilizer by 50 per cent but had also imported over 300,000 metric tons of fertilizers into the country to ensure availability to every farmer.

Mr. Chinnia also disclosed that government had secured funding for two major electrification projects in the country, adding that over 800 communities including the remaining communities in the Sissala West District would be covered.

GNA

By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA