Aboadze (W/R), Oct 18, GNA - The Takoradi International Company (TICO), a private power company, on Tuesday awarded scholarships worth 20,000 dollars to 70 pupils and students through the Kramer Scholarship Programme, its scholarship scheme at Aboadze near Takoradi. Thirty-seven students in tertiary institutions each received scholarship award of 4.5 million cedis while 25 senior secondary school students each received 3.5 million cedis.

Eight primary and junior secondary school pupils were each presented with 500,000 cedis scholarship awards.

Speaking at the function Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, a Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shama, advised the beneficiaries to continue to take their studies seriously.

She said the area has been recording poor results in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and its results are among the poorest in the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolis. Mrs Baiden-Amissah called on parents to help reverse the trend by ensuring that their children study after classes instead of roaming the streets at night.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah urged school children to concentrate on their studies and not to let themselves to be detracted by love affairs. She commended TICO for instituting the scholarship programme to assist brilliant but needy students to continue their education.

Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, the Western Regional Minister, said he was happy that TICO is assisting the government to develop the country's human resource through the scholarship programme. He said no country or business could grow without human resource and it was for this reason that the government was striving to improve the country's human resource base.

Mr Amoah urged TICO to be interested in the career objectives of the beneficiaries of the scholarship and team up with school authorities to offer career guidance and counselling.

Mr Ramanthan Balachandar, General Manager of TICO, said scholarships totalling 100,000 dollars had been awarded to 200 pupils and students since the inception of the programme about six years ago. He said the scholarship was initially offered to pupils of first cycle schools and students of senior secondary schools but students of tertiary institutions have been included in the programme.

Mr Balanchandar said the scholarship was established by and named after the first General Manager of TICO, Mr Lawrence Kramer. Mr Clement Dandori, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan East Chief Executive, called on TICO to extend the scholarship to the physically challenged persons. 18 Oct 06