Drobo (B/A), Jan 5, GNA - Ms Anna Nyamekye, MP for Jaman South, has presented a cheque for 17 million cedis to be distributed to the schools of 17 girls in the area each of whom scored aggregate six in the 2003 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE). Presenting the cheque at the third ordinary session of Jaman District Assembly at Drobo Ms. Nyamekye, who is a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the gesture was in fulfilment of a promise she made early last year.

The money, she said, was part of her share of the MP's Common Fund and the gesture was aimed at helping to promote girl-child education in the Jaman District. A number of second cycle schools, which offered admission to the 17 girls will be the beneficiaries.

Mr Johnson Ofori Asubonteng, the District Chief Executive, said the area councils were not doing much in revenue mobilization and appealed to the assembly members to help to organize area council meetings. Touching on the recent demonstration by a group of citizens calling themselves "Patriotic Citizens of Jaman", who called for his removal, the DCE attributed the action to the ignorance of the group about the operations of the assembly system.

Mr Asubonteng called on assembly members to hold meetings with the electorate after assembly meetings and explain issues such as award of contracts, loans and approval of district assembly common fund budget. ''If you had done this there would not have been any such demonstration,'' the DCE said. He said malaria formed about 60-70 percent of OPD cases in the district due to the poor environmental situation. Several steps, including the introduction of Impregnated Mosquito Net System, in the district were being taken to combat the disease, he said.

Mr Asubonteng said the Assembly was envisaging using part of one percent of the District Assembly Common Fund to import the nets to be sold at subsidised prices to the people. He called on the assembly members to educate the people to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme, scheduled to take off this month.