Sunyani (B/A) June 19, GNA - A four member delegation of the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities Commission in the United States of America has paid a two-day familiarization visit to some institutions in Sunyani Municipality.

The commission has, through Professor Seth Opoku-Appiah, a citizen of Chiraa, near Sunyani and Professor of Planning at the University of Alabama, USA, established a sister-city relationship with the Municipal Assembly.

The relationship seeks to among other areas promote cultural cooperation, education, health and capacity building to benefit Tuscaloosa and Ghana, especially the Sunyani Municipal Assembly. The delegation, led by Prof. Opoku-Appiah, included Mrs. Lisa Keyes, Executive Director of the Commission, Mr. Robert Bob Lundell, member, Tuscaloosa City Council and Ekua Mensah, a citizen of Winneba, and Assistant Coordinator of the Commission.

It also visited the Sunyani Traditional Council, the Regional Coordinating Council and the Sunyani Senior High School, where Prof. Opoku-Appiah had his secondary education. Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, said the government cherished the building of sister city relationships towards the development of the country and pledged the Regional Co-ordinating Council's support to help strengthen the relationship. He noted that improper planning was a major challenge that faced some districts in the region and expressed the hope that the Municipal Assembly's relationship with the commission would be broadened to benefit other districts in the areas of proper planning. At the Sunyani Traditional Council, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Omanhene of Sunyani, commended the commission for establishing and nurturing the relationship, which he noted would also promote cultural exchange between both countries.

Prof. Opoku-Appiah told students of the Sunyani High School that the commission had instituted steps to enable some to have exchange programmes with students of the University of Alabama. He implored them to concentrate on their books and eschew behaviours that could disrupt their education or endanger their lives. Mr. Lundell, on behalf of the delegation, thanked the people in the municipality for their hospitality and promised the Commission's preparedness to nurture the relationship for their common interests.