Atebubu (B/A) Sept. 16, GNA - Mr. Sanja Nanja, the District Chief Executive for Atebubu/Amantin, in Brong-Ahafo region, has called on Non-Governmental Organisations and philanthropists to support the education of the youth because poverty was retarding the progress of education there.

The DCE in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Atebubu said because majority of the people in the area were peasant farmers, they found it difficult to enrol and keep their children in schools. "The situation has rendered some Junior High School candidates who qualified for admission into Senior High School incapable of continuing their education", he noted. Mr. Nanja paid special tribute to the World Vision International, an NGO, for supporting educational and health programmes in the district.

The NGO has provided school uniforms to some needy students and also sponsored the organization of the District Education Mock Examination for the 2009 candidates of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the DCE added. He said World Vision constructed the health centre at Akoka, which serves more than 12 communities. Mr. Nanja said the assembly was liaising with the Ministry of Roads and the Department of Feeder Roads towards the rehabilitation of some roads in the district to facilitate the movement of the people and their economic activities. He said the Atebubu-Fakwasi, Sankwakyi-Old Konkrompe, Atebubu-Newase and Dobidi-Nkwanta were roads that needed immediate attention. The assembly has also decided to provide Amantin and Konkrompe with small town water systems, a project that is part of the Water and Sanitation Programme funded by the French Government.