Saltpond (CR), Aug 29, GNA - The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Charles Binipom Bintin, has advocated for the establishment of a College to train Chiefs.

He said until the establishment of the College, the Ministry would organise training programmes for Chiefs at the Institute of Local Government Studies next year.

In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Abraham Dwuma Odoom, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development at a durbar of the Chiefs and people of the Nkusukum Traditional Area at Saltpond to climax the annual Odambea Festival at the weekend, the Minister suggested that chiefs should be given the opportunity to go abroad for refresher courses on modern trends in globalisation, the rule of law and good governance.

"These training courses, I believe, would go a long way to fine tune our chiefs with current and up-to-date information and skills to govern their people who are becoming complex due to the present social, economic and political trends in a globalise world," he stated. Mr Bintin stressed the need for Ghanaians to preserve their rich cultural heritage before globalisation made it irrelevant, adding that, "in exercising our traditional rights, we should not accept cultures that would adulterate ours".

In a speech read on behalf of Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City and MP for Mfantseman West, he said the government in partnership with donors had initiated a number of Poverty Reduction programmes to make the people feel the effects of the micro-economic stability in their pockets. Mr Asamoah Boateng mentioned a 50-million-dollar micro-economic fund to be disbursed to small-scale businesses in rural areas as one of such initiatives.

Mr Ato Essuman, a Member of Council of State appealed to the people to invest in the education of their children since it was the only way to change the fortunes of poor families.

He said education could bridge the gap between the poor and the rich, adding that, there was a plan to offer half scholarship to four SSS students, two girls and two boys from each of the 13 Districts in the Central Region.

Mr Essuman who is also the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education and Sports, said vacation classes were being planned for less endowed Senior Secondary Schools in the Region.

The Member of the Council of State stated that teachers who would participate in the classes would be rewarded.

Mr Robert Quainoo-Arthur, District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, appealed to Chiefs and family heads to use the festival to settle disputes to ensure peace and unity needed to move the District forward. Okese Essandoh VIII, Omanhene of Nkusukum, commended the government for providing a capitation grant to pay the fees of pupils and appealed to the government to expand facilities in the schools for more children to be enrolled.

Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justice and a citizen of Saltpond was honoured for his dedicated service to the nation. The title of Obrempong was conferred on him. An Nkusukum Education Endowment Fund lunched at the function yielded 42 million cedis.