Nsawam, June 1, GNA - Dr Godfred Osei Bonsu Twum, the Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapem South, on Monday appealed to the government to revamp the Nsawam Cannery.

He said the closing down of the cannery, that used to be the main source of employment for the people in the area, had affected the people greatly and that their living standards was nothing to write home about. Addressing journalists to mark his first day in office, Dr Twum said all aspects of human development in the area had depreciated because poverty had become the hallmark and thereby affecting education, health, employment and shelter.

He said he had been informed that when the Nsawam Cannery is brought back to life it has the capacity to create about 4,000 and would improve pineapple farming.

On education, Dr Twum said most schools in the municipality have shelters that pose great danger to pupils and teachers and wondered how those children could compete with others from a better environment. He said the school feeding programme that is needed to cushion parents and to help raise school enrolment, is operating in only five basic schools.

Dr Twum said in solving the problems facing education, his administration would set up an education committee to do an extensive identification of the problems and to find solutions to them. He said due to the deprived nature of communities in the area, most schools have no teachers and that the assembly would step up sponsorship of teachers to training institutions to take up teaching appointments in the area.

Dr Twum said his administration would also focus on small scale businesses by offering flexible loans to people.