New Saasabi (GAR), May 6, GNA - Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, President of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), on Friday called on parents to take advantage of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education programme to send their children to school and contribute financially towards their education.

"Our failure to educate the child in this modern era will not only pose a problem for the child in future but the family and society at large," she stressed. The First Lady made the call when she commissioned two day care centres established by the movement at New Saasabi, near Dodowa, and Community Nine in the Tema Municipality (TMA).

The 24 million-cedi Saasabi day care centre for the predominantly farming community was established in 1996 by members of the movement as a community initiated project with financial support from the TMA.

The 32 million-cedi centre at Tema Community Nine was started by the movement in 1991 with support from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and materials provided by the National Secretariat of the DWM and the TMA.

At separate durbars held by the chiefs and people of Saasabi, Tema and Kpone, Nana Konadu stressed the need for a proper foundation for children in education. She said the movement has since 1984 helped in the establishment of day care centres in all parts of the country because, apart from introducing children to education at their tender ages, it helps working mothers to have a convenient place to leave their children to concentrate on their work.

Nana Konadu called on Ghanaians to patronise made-in-Ghana goods and do away with imported items like 'Nkatie Burger'. She said locally produced rice at Afife, Kpong, and in the Northern Region is as nutritious as the ones imported from Thailand and Vietnam.

Nana Konadu said the Omo, Key and Duck soaps produced in Ghana are very suitable for Ghanaians who wash their clothes using their hands while other soaps are only suitable for washing machines.

"Our textile products are of standard, so we should not think of going to neighbouring countries to smuggle their textiles to flood the markets." She said the NDC government would continue to tell the truth to Ghanaians, and attributed the rising prices for goods and services to external trade shocks. She said crude oil, which is imported at 30 dollars per barrel and refined, could not have their prices reduced even though it is selling on international markets for at about 23 dollars.

On the presidential jet, Nana Konadu said government had negotiated a kind of contract that would make payment of yearly instalments of one million dollars for 23 years, and that "we are not carrying 10 million dollars as was done in the early 70's to pay for the jet". She called on those who want to take political office to always ensure that they go by the truth.

"If Ghana has embraced democracy, it does not mean we should allow indiscipline to permeate the society, for in our culture discipline is most important," she stressed.

Mr Joshua Alabi, Greater Accra Regional Minister, conceded that Ghana was in economic crisis but said the government was able to pay the monthly salaries to workers because of good planning. He said while members of the first parliament, which was mainly composed of NDC members accepted second-hand cars, members of the opposition parties who entered the second parliament demanded brand new cars while at the same time calling for a cut in government expenditure.

Nii Armah Ashietey, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, urged the people to check their names in the voters' register, which has now been opened, and asked those who have attained 18 years to register and vote in this year's general election.

Ms Beatrice Naa Afieye Ashong, Tema Municipal Organiser of the DWM, and MP for Kpone Katamanso, said the cost of the two projects was beaten down by the women through the use of communal labour. She expressed her gratitude to the National Secretariat of the movement, which lent them their support and provided the centres with furniture, teaching materials and toys.

Nii Adjei Kraku, Tema Mantse who chaired the two functions, called on other rural communities to emulate the communal spirit of Saasabi to initiate their own projects to attract assistance from the Assembly. He advised the people to practise family planning to enable them to take proper care of their children.