Bole (N/R), Aug. 16, GNA - A US-based NGO, Educate Africa Totally (EAT), has donated books valued over six million to a number of schools in the Bole, West Gonja and East Gonja Districts of the Northern Region. Presenting the books on behalf of the president of the NGO, the President of the National Association of Gonjaland Students (NAGS), Mr Issifu Sulemana, noted that the NGO aims at promoting the development of literacy in Africa through the various indigenous groups and communities' associations.

Mr Sulemana said "education is being recognised by both developed and developing countries as a basic input for the development of every society, this fact is not lost on EAT but forms the basic for its existence and will therefore continue to support the development of education in all deprived rural and urban slums across Africa."

He gave the assurance that the donation was the beginning of several others planned for the districts, saying that it is the hope of the NGO to ensure all children in the district to be provided with decent classroom block instead of the trees they use as classrooms. The president urged the beneficiary schools to take good care of the books so that they could pass them on to future generations, adding that, books were the biggest heritage any generation could leave for the people.

Receiving the books on behalf of the district the District Chief Executive, Mr Sam Akati Mahama, also a retired educationist, advised all communities to give priority to education, and to regard it as a bedrock for development. Mr Mahama noted that the donation is a welcomed relief to the district, and that necessary steps would be taken to ensure they are not only presented to the intended beneficiaries but are utilised fully to promote literacy in the district. The DCE called on various communities in the district to co-operate with the NGO and urged others outside the district to consider Bole as one of the deprived areas in which they could implement their programmes, once the assembly is prepared to collaborate and work with them for the benefit of the people. 16 Aug. 2003

NSOC 28 Social Commendation Government Zormelor commends government on GCB decision

Winneba, Aug. 17, GNA - The Senior Bishop's Deputy of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, The Right Reverend Dr. Godfred Zormelo, has described Government's decision to rescind its proposal to sell the 46 per cent shares it owns in the Ghana Commercial Bank as a victory for the country's young democracy and clear demonstration of the feelings it has for the nation's overall development. Commenting on the issue at Winneba=B8 Rt=B8 Rev. Dr Zormelo advised the government to continue to listen to the voice of the masses when the situation demands so that the trust and confidence the people have built in it could be maintained.

He expressed the hope that Ghanaians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations would wholeheartedly welcome the government's decision and offer constructive suggestions and ideas to help it remove bottlenecks, which were impeding the progress of the bank.

Rt Rev. Dr Zormelo suggested that government should consider floating shares for workers, churches, and organised groups to buy to enable it to secure adequate financial support for the revitalisation of the GCB.

He reiterated his suggestion to the government to use part of the HIP funds accrued so far to start the national health insurance scheme with and stop tampering with the workers social security contributions. On education, Rt. Rev. Dr Zormelo praised Professor K. A. Andam, the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for his brilliant decision to pave the way for some qualified SSS students to take up courses at the KNUST and advised the beneficiary students to live up to expectation.