General News of Sunday, 7 December 2003

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Prof Fobih assists victims of marauding elephants

Professor Dominic Fobih, MP for Assin South, on Saturday presented relief items worth several million of cedis to more than 100 farmers whose farms have been destroyed by marauding elephants from the Kakum National Park.

The items, which were donated to the farmers in the three communities of Aboabo Camp, Ongwo and Foso- Kassim, include 50 students mattresses, 100 blankets, 25 bags of rice, 3 cartons of cutlasses, 40 Wellington boots, 100 plastic cups, 100 plastic plates, 2 cartons of cooking oil, 30 plastic buckets and 3 bales of used clothing.

Prof. Fobih, however, appealed to the people in the area not to harass the elephants to create more problems, but strive to adopt the measures taught them by officials of the Wildlife Department, on how to keep the animals at bay.

Prof. Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands and Forestry on Saturday paid a working visit to three communities in the Assin South constituency to acquaint himself with problems facing them and explain government policies to them.

The communities are Foso Kassim, Aboabo Camp and Ongwo all in the Assin South constituency.

In his separate address to the three communities, Prof. Fobih expressed government's determination to "deviate from the lies of past governments", and always say the truth.

He therefore, appealed to the people to close their ranks against people who may attempt to discredit the government to score political marks, and explained that implementation of development projects took time, and appealed to the people to bear with the government in its bid to find solutions to problems facing rural dwellers.

Prof. Fobih, accompanied by Mr James Afful, assembly member for Ongwo electoral area, later inspected blocks moulded by the people for the construction of a 3-classroom block office and a store for the Primary school at Aboabo Camp.

Mr Kwame Owusu NPP chairman for the Aboabo Camp electoral area, on behalf of the people thanked Mr Fobih for his personal donation to the communities and appealed to him to use his good offices to assist them in the construction of the school.