Regional News of Tuesday, 13 April 2004

Source: GNA

Atorkor residents raise 105 Million cedis for development

Atorkor (V/R), April 13, GNA- The Chiefs and people of Atorkor in the Volta Region have raised 105 million cedis towards the construction of a school block and sponsorship for students in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) in the town.

The amount was realized at the homecoming ceremony organized to coincide with the Easter festivities in the town on Sunday. The initiative was to increase the motivation for teachers in the town by providing them with incentives besides their salaries in order to improve the academic standard of students in the area.

Addressing the people, Torgbui Akumey Geli Adzorlolo III, chief of the town, said he considered the provision of educational infrastructure as a pre-requisite for bringing development to the town. He said the first phase of the project involves the construction of a six classroom one-storey block for the school.

Torgbui Adzorlolo said the Atorkor Development Foundation (ADF), is working with other organizations in the village to make the project fruitful.

The ADF, he noted, has since last year provided scholarships to 51 needy but brilliant children in schools and awarded 30 children who excelled in their BECE examinations and rewarded distinguished citizens in the town.

Torgbui Adzorlolo, who is a medical doctor by profession said a former patient of his in London, has put aside 3.3 million cedis to sponsor 41 children of the Atorkor Basic Schools, made up of 26 children from the primary school, and 15 from the J.S.S this year.

"He has also decided to sponsor the best female student from Atorkor at the end of the J.S.S. for the three-year Senior Secondary School programme."

On the December elections, Torgbui Adzorlolo commended the Electoral Commission (EC) on the recent registration exercise and urged the citizens to make effort to exercise their franchise for people who are sincere, dedicated and ready to promote their interest. He said no cure has been found for the HIV/AIDS and urged his people to protect themselves against it adding, "Do not be fooled by the appearance and resist every pressure and temptation to engage that will put you at risk".

Mrs Agnes Okudzeto, Second Vice-Chairperson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said government is keen on completing road infrastructure in the area, adding, "In no time, accessibility to every town and village will become a possibility"

She said Atorkor would soon benefit from the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative Fund that would bring basic amenities to the town.

She said the Anlo Secondary School at Anloga would soon be upgraded to a first class second cycle institution in the district.