GRADUATES RECEIVE START- UP KITS

Five graduates of the Rural Technology Facility at Bechem have been presented with start – up kits after completing a three year training programme in metal works and fabrication at the facility.

Picture shows items and its recipients

The kits which were made of Compressors, Bench Fitting and Grinding Machines and its accessories were giving to the students by the Rural Enterprise Project as an incentive to enable them start their own businesses in addition to certificates of merit.

 At a presentation ceremony which was held at the premises of the Tano South District Assembly, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, the establishment of the Rural Facility Centre at Bechem was as a result of the governments determination to train more artisans and the zeal with which Nananom of the Bechem Traditional Council readily released land for the project.

                      

Hon.Anaba addressing the gathering

Hon. Anaba said, the government attaches great importance to the Rural Technology Facility project since it is committed to upgrading our polytechnics into Technical Universities so as to train more to acquire technical and artisanary skills.

Hon. Anaba commended the Medium and Small Scale Committee of the Assembly for its immense contribution towards the establishment of the Rural Technology Facility and urged parents to send their Junior High School graduates to the Centre to acquire technical skills. He said the Tano South District Assembly through the Business Advisory Centre has been able to train people in soap making, grass cutter rearing and granted loans to petty traders to expand their businesses.

The Tano South District Head of the Business Advisory Centre Mr. Abdul Mutalib in a speech said his outfit has put down strategic plans to train people in craft work and hinted that the Bechem Rural Technology Facility is financed by the Africa Development Bank and entreated all and sundry who want to be trained to register at his outfit at the Tano South District Assembly. Mr. Abdul said, aside the various training programmes, his outfit has given out to people and various courses it has embarked, his office is still in the process of bringing out the best to the people and urged all entrepreneurs to contact his office for business advices.

      

BAC Head, Mr. Abdul Mutalib and the DCE, presenting a certificate and items to a beneficiary

A student, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the government, the Tano South District Assembly and the Rural enterprises Project for making it possible for them to complete the training and also presenting them with the start-up kits.

The well attended presentation ceremony saw in attendance Officials of the Rural Enterprises Project, the Tano South District Coordinating Director, Mrs. Agartha Ahia, The Ag. manager of RTF, Mr.Darius Nii – Ashiedu, Assembly members and Staff of the Assembly

WORK TO BEGIN ON DERMA – ASUOSO TRUNK ROAD

A ground breaking ceremony has been held at Derma in the Tano South District of the Bong Ahafo Region for the construction of  the Derma –Asuoso Trunk Road. The project which is part of the government’s policy to improve road infrastructure in cocoa growing areas is being undertaken by a Sunyani Based Road construction Firm, PMC Ltd.

At a durbar held at Derma for the ground breaking ceremony was in attendance, the Honourable Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for food and agriculture, Hon. Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, the Brong Ahafo Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Minister, Hon. Justice Samuel Adjei, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba, and the District Chief Executives  for Dormaa Municipal and Sunyani West.

Welcoming the people gathered at the ceremony, the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, the ground breaking ceremony would open up the process for the contractor to begin work on the project. He said when work on the project is completed; it will facilitate the transportation of their products  both  cash and food crops to the buying centres and appealed to Nananom and the good people of the area to give all the necessary assistance to the contractor and his men at work.

Addressing the gathering, the Member of Parliament for Tano South Constituency and Deputy Minister of  Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw said, the government has awarded the Derma-Asuoso Road for bitumen surface laying in fulfilment of the promise the NDC government gave during their 2012 electioneering campaign and also catalogued some of the achievements of the NDC government and said, the NDC government has been able to provide many school buildings to replace schools under trees, provision of ICT centres, Poly Clinics, CHPS compounds, provision of electricity to rural areas, scholarship award to needy but brilliant children and other social intervention programmes.

Hon. Dr. Bissiw said, she would organise a free eye-screening excercise in the District to enable all access eye care and also provide public toilets to areas which lack them.

Addressing the gathering, the Brong Ahafo regional Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku, congratulated the Member of Parliament and the District Chief Executive for their good works and the cooperation which has existed between them and Nananom  leading to the peaceful atmospheric condition the District has enjoyed over the years.

He said, since many development projects have been undertaken in the District, it is the collective responsibility of all to take good care of them for the future generation also to come and enjoy their benefits.

Hon. Eric Opoku informed the gathering tha,t maintenance work on the Derma-Asuoso Road will be financed by the auspices of the Ghana Cocoa Board and hinted that government has allocated an amount of GH¢15.6million to finance the Derma-Asuoso project. He said due to the climate change the nation is experiencing, many water bodies has reduced in size and this has also affected electricity supply in the country and has led to the load shedding exercise currently being experienced in the country and hinted that the government is putting measures in place to resolve the situation.

 Nana Krobea Asante II, the Dermahene who chaired the function said in his remarks that, he was grateful to the government for a dream come through and assured that he and his people will do all it takes to help the contractor and his men for the successful completion of the project since the project would also open the Tano South District to the Ashanti Region.