Badu (B/A), Sept. 9, GNA - Education in the Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo region would be a major priority, Mr Usman Fakih Suallah, the parliamentary candidate for the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) assured on Tuesday.

He said when given the nod as the Member of Parliament for the area, he would work to ensure academic excellence in all schools in order to improve performance and accelerate development in Tain. Mr Suallah was addressing a forum organised for parliamentary candidates of the various political parties at Badu in the Tain District.

The forum was organised by the Badu Students Union (BaSU) in collaboration with the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to create awareness among the people on the need to sustain peace in the area.

The candidates noted that the academic standard of students in Junior and Senior High Schools in the district had fallen due to lack of conducive environment especially for the teachers to work effectively.

"The district has produced many prominent personalities through education but we still lack the required educational infrastructure. The provision of appropriate teaching materials to the schools will help improve the poor academic performance of the pupils and students," Mr Suallah said.

On the motivation of teachers, he pledged to establish an educational fund to assist teachers and students in the constituency. He appealed to the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to create confusion during the forth-coming general election.

Mr Amos Mensah, District Information Officer, reiterated that the nation could not develop if there was no peace and urged the people to do their best to help maintain peace and stability. "Tain district is 'orphan' and needs maximum attention and support for its progress, so we should not do anything that will destroy what we have achieved so far", he added.

Mr Mensah urged the youth to regard all others as one people and told them engaged in politics devoid of insults to help sustain the peace in the country.

Mr Rudolph Chireh, District Electoral Officer, said the Electoral Commission, had announced the period for filling of nominations by the parliamentary candidates, the registration exhibition and the taking of photographs of those registered recently but could not obtain their identity cards. 9 Sept. 08