Ekuasi (W/R), Sept. 5, GNA - Professor Barima Azumah Nelson, Ghana's boxing legend has appealed to philanthropists, public and private firms and religious organisations to give their maximum support to specialised educational institutions in the country to enable them to operate more effectively.

He made the appeal, when he presented 10 million cedis cheque each to the Ekuasi Twin City Special School for the Mentally Handicapped and the Sekondi School for the Deaf at separate ceremonies at Ekuasi and Sekondi on Saturday.

The Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly has been working to move the Twin City Special School to a new and more convenient site, but work on the project begun about more than five years ago, but had been very slow.

Mr Japheth Boamah, assistant head-teacher complained about lack of water and deplorable condition of facilities in the school. Barima Azumah Nelson, who had been voted Ghana's Environmental Ambassador for the year, inspected facilities at the schools after meeting some personalities in Takoradi and Essikado in connection with the celebration of the Eco-Tourism Festival (ECOFEST) in Sekondi-Takoradi in October this year.

The festival is aimed at raising global environmental awareness through a number of activities including seminars, photo exhibitions, durbars and international musical concert.

Barima Azumah Nelson expressed concern about the deplorable conditions of facilities at the two institutions and promised to liase with the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to complete work on the projects at the school for the deaf that had come to a standstill. Mr Japheth Boamah and Mr Stephen Benneh, assistant headmasters for the school thanked Azumah Nelson for the donations and said the monies would be put to good use.

At Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketsia IV, Omanhene of the Traditional Area pledged the support of the traditional council to ensure the success of the ECOFEST celebration.

The Essikadomanhene spoke against the continued destruction of the environment through illegal logging, mining and other human activities and hoped the festival would help to educate the public on the dangers these activities pose to humanity.