Tanoso (B/A), June 24, GNA- Two thousand five hundred brilliant and needy students throughout the country have so far benefited from the Otumfuo Education Endowment Fund since its inception about five years ago. Nana Brefo Boateng, Executive Secretary of the Fund, said three billion cedis had been spent on beneficiaries.

The Executive Secretary said these when he was presenting 100 bags of cement on behalf of the Fund to Tanoso Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES) in Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality in the Brong-Ahafo Region on Thursday. He said the beneficiaries were individual students whose applications met the requirements of the Fund and were in basic, second-cycle and tertiary institutions in the Northern, Central, Brong-Ahafo and Volta Regions.

Nana Boateng said under the scheme, educational infrastructure would also be renovated adding, "The fair distribution the Fund is ample proof that even though the it originated from the Ashanti Region, it has a national character as it assist those who really need assistance, regarding the aims and aspirations of the Fund." He noted that the days when bravery at war was considered as a prove for the might or importance of a nation or people had given way to formal education as the best method of achieving socio-economic growth.

Nana Boateng said: "The Fund is on course to institute another education fund to be called "Sikamma" or children of the "Golden Stool" Fund, under which children under 21 years of age throughout the country would pay 200 cedis a month each to become members of the Fund". He asked the Centre to select two brilliant and needy students for scholarship and advised the students to learn hard to enable them to pass their examinations.

Mr Edmund Frimpong, Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinating Director of ICCES said the Tanoso Centre runs courses in Building and Construction, Electricals, Catering, Batik Tie-and-dye, adding, Carpentry and Joinery would soon be included. He thanked Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Asantehene in particular and the administrators of the Fund for assisting brilliant but needy students and supporting schools to enhance teaching and learning.

Nana Owusu Korkor, Chairman of Board of Directors of Tanoso Centre, urged the people to collaborate with the authorities to sustain the Centre.

Mr Henry Yaw Boateng, Manager of the Centre appealed to individuals organisations including Churches to support the centre.