Sikaman (Ash), April 19, GNA - The Chiefs and people of Sikaman in the Adansi South District of Ashanti are raising 300 million cedis for the construction of a police station in the town.

The police station will comprise three big offices, a charge office, two cells, a toilet facility and records room.

Announcing this at a fund raising harvest, organized on Easter Saturday at Sikaman, during which 10 million cedis was realized in aid of the project, Mr Paul Boakye, the area assemblyman said work on the four-room teachers quarters was in progress.

He said the district assembly would soon supply a television set to the local junior secondary school to help boost students interest in the President's Special Initiative on Distance Learning. The assemblyman announced that with the support from the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah, a market would soon be built in the town.

Mr Francis Dorpenyoh, the DCE said the assembly was spending 100 million cedis to ensure the completion of the teacher's quarters, which was initiated by the community.

He commended the Sikaman community for their self-help spirit, stressing that, "the community initiates its own development project and seeks support from the assembly". The DCE gave the assurance that the assembly would ever support the community in any self-help initiative aimed at developing the area. Mr Dorpenyoh praised the people for their desire to get a police station but advised that the project should not be misconstrued to mean that the area was lawless.

"Police station is one facility that determines the level of growth and development of an area", he said. Mr Dorpenyoh donated two packets of roofing sheets as the assembly's contribution towards the police station project. Nana Kokope Afari, the Krontihene of the town, who presided, said the community development spirit being displayed by most communities in the country should encourage the Sikaman community to do more to improve their lot. 19 April 06