Nkwabeng (B/A) Oct. 30, GNA - Mr. Johnson Kwasi Bekoe, a citizen of Nkwabeng in Nkoranza district and a businessman has initiated a scholarship scheme to help enhance the standard of education at the basic level in the community.

Under the scheme, a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate from the town who obtained the best aggregate in the community qualified for the first year scholarship in a Senior Secondary School. Mr. Bekoe announced the existence of the scholarship scheme when he presented 816,000 cedis to Master Ebenezer Ankomah, a past student of Nkwabeng Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Junior Secondary School who obtained aggregate 13 and emerged the over-all best student in the BECE in the area.

Master Ankomah is now a student of Nkoranza Secondary/Technical School.

Mr. Bekoe said his contribution was to augment the efforts of resident citizens towards the development of the area.

Mr. Bekoe announced that he would continue with the programme for three years and if successful, he would make the programme permanent. He called on students in the area to take their education seriously to benefit from the facility. Mr. Kwame Baffoe-Duah, former Assembly Member for Nkwabeng Yeboasa who received the money on behalf of Master Ankomah commended the donor for the gesture.

He noted that such efforts showed the level of concern and commitment of some citizens to the welfare of their communities and prayed for God's blessings for Mr. Bekoe. He urged other citizens to emulate Mr. Bekoe. Miss Joyce Oppong, Assistant Headmistress of the local SDA JSS on behalf of the school commended Mr. Bekoe for single-handedly instituting the scheme.

She gave the assurance that teachers of the school would work harder to enable the school to maintain its encouraging academic record. Madam Rita Afia Kwaa, mother of Master Ankomah lauded Mr. Bekoe's support for the continued education of her son, saying the award had relieved the family of "a heavy burden".