General News of Thursday, 20 July 2006

Source: GNA

Government pragmatic measures will eradicate poverty

Ajumako Bisease (C/R), July 20, GNA - Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, the Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, has said the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, the National Health Insurance Scheme and the President's special initiatives were measures geared towards eradicating poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy from the society.

She appealed to Ghanaians to support the programmes to ensure their success.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah said this when she presented a Frequency Modulation (FM) Case, Broad Coat Unit and Multi-Media Equipment to the Ajumako Bisease Community at Bisease on Wednesday. The package included desktop computers, server, scanner, LCD projector, printer and digital camera.

The Deputy Minister said the government was committed to bridging the Information Communication Technology (ICT) gap in Ghana and had therefore established Communication Information Centres in 76 districts. Mrs Baiden-Amissah appealed to the administrators of the Bisease Community Multi Media Centre, to be known as Breezy FM, to have CD Roms on various subjects so that students, workers, and farmers could have access to this wealth of information.

Mr Kenneth Obempong, the District Chief Executive, said the district was sponsoring 60 pupil teachers and 60 community health nurses in training institutions and would serve in the community after their training.

Mr Obempong commended the staff of the Ajumako District Hospital for staying at post when health personnel throughout the country went on strike.

Mrs Charity Amonoo, Secretary-General of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, expressed appreciation to UNESCO and the International Programme for the Development of Communication for providing the equipment.

Mrs Elizabeth Moundo of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Accra said she was optimistic that the equipment, a basic requirement for higher education and for the job market, would lead the way in promoting cultural heritage, public health, the fight against HIV/AIDS, agriculture, food security and environmental protection. Nana Kwaku Bodaa V, Benkumhene of the town, received the items and called on other non-governmental organisations to support the Breezy FM in cash and in kind.

Nana Bodaa appealed to the government to speed up the proposed upgrading of the Biseaseman Secondary School into a model one. He also appealed to the Ministry of Health to post a doctor to cater for the over 25,000 people in the area, adding that many of the referral cases to the Breman Asikuma, Assin Foso and Cape Coast hospitals, usually die on the way.

Mr Joseph N Okyere, the Chairman of the Bisease Development Association, appealed to the Minister of Education, Science and Sports and UNESCO Office to help the FM to gain its operation licence as soon as possible to enable it start operating.