Regional News of Thursday, 5 May 2005

Source: GNA

Involve Queen mothers in poverty reduction interventions

Ajumako (C/R), May 5, GNA - The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Miss Georgina Yeboah, has called for the involvement of Queen mothers in the disbursement and collection of loans under the various poverty reduction interventions.

She stated that since mainly women were the beneficiaries of the loans under the interventions, the involvement of Queen Mothers would make their recovery easier.

Miss Yeboah made the suggestion at a durbar of Queen mothers in the District at Ajumako on Tuesday as part of activities marking the Fifth National Constitution Week on the theme "enhancing peoples participation in local governance in reducing poverty."

Miss Yeboah expressed concern about the failure of some beneficiaries to repay the loans and urged the Queen mothers to assist the Assembly to ensure the sustainability if the interventions. "Women will be more affected if the programme collapsed," she said. Miss Yeboah called for the free flow of information about government activities and programmes to promote democracy, which she said could not thrive if the people were kept in the dark. The NCCE District Director urged the Queen mothers and other groups to invite people from time to time to share ideas and keep abreast with time.

Nana Badu, Queen mother of Enyan Abowinmu and the Chair Person of the Association, commended the Commission the role it was playing to enhance democracy and appealed to the government to provide the NCCE with vehicles and other logistics to enhance its work. 05 May 05