Dunkwa-on-Offin (C/R), Sept 27, GNA - Mr Eric A. Botwe, Head of Cocoa at OLAM Ghana Limited, has said it is the hope of players in the cocoa industry that the 1.5 billion dollars facility raised by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for the purchase of cocoa would generate a lot of employment in the country.

Speaking at a ceremony at Dunkwa at which OLAM donated 100 student beds to the Dunkwa Health Assistants Training School (HATS), Mr Botwe stated "it is our prayer that this money which is the biggest ever will generate a lot of employment in the country".

According to him, thhe move was also in line with the company's social responsibility to communities and organisations in and around Dunkwa, since the area constitutes one of OLAM's top five districts in the cocoa business.

Mr Botwe added "Dunkwa is the headquarters of the Western South cocoa region and the area has averagely been contributing 27 per cent of the country's cocoa, representing 180,000 tons or three million bags over the past 10 years.

"It is therefore an obligation for us to support the area's development", he said. The Cocoa Head said the donation of the beds to the school was also in line with the company's commitment and support to the health sector. Mr Botwe challenged the health assistant trainees to come out and contribute their quota to the improvement of health care delivery in the area instead of joining "those health workers who treat patients with disrespect".

Mr Peter Kofi Owusu Ashia, the Dunkwa Minicipal Chief Executive, announced that the assembly would donate a number of computers to help empower the students to become technologically skilful in their work. The Western South Coordinator of OLAM, Mr Kennedy Ntoso, said the company had been responsive to their social responsibility to the communities and organisations, citing the donation of 50 bags of cement, 10 packets of roofing sheets and four boxes of nails to Kwame Krakrom as an example.

Mr David Benjamin Sampson, the Principal of the school, expressed gratitude to the management of OLAM, saying "this donation was the beginning of greater things to come to the school". He announced that as from next year, the school would run a diploma programme in general registered nursing. Nana Ayimadu Okofo IV, Acting President of Denkyira Traditional Council who chaired the function, encouraged OLAM Ghana Limited to continue to support the area's development. 27 Sept 10