Afriyie Akoto assist constituents

Feb 2011
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

Education in the Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region has received a boost with the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, using his share of a number of funds to provide 18 new classrooms for a number of schools within the last two years.
The cost of the projects, including eight renovated classrooms in 14 communities, is GH¢300,000.00. The funds include his share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Common Fund, HIPC special allocation from the Ministry of Education and funds raised from the private sector.
Dr Akoto told the Daily Graphic that he embarked on the projects, since he realised that low quality of education in basic schools in the constituency was due in part to large class sizes and a shift system arising from inadequate number of classrooms.
According to him, some classes in the constituency have over 100 pupils per class thereby forcing many schools to resort to the shift system.
The MP said he was concerned about the human resource development of the area, which is seen in the institution of a scholarship scheme which has benefited 34 students at various levels of education.
A total of GH¢11,789 had been spent on these awards from the MP’s share of the HIPC Funds.
Dr Akoto added that to empower women in the constituency, he had also instituted a scholarship scheme for young people to train in various vocations at the Methodist Women’s Training Centre at Kwadaso, which offers a three-year training in hairdressing, dressmaking, food and catering, batik and tie-dye, among other vocations.
So far, 33 young women has been offered a total of GH¢21,912.50 to pursue various vocations at the training centre.
On health, Dr Akoto stated that he was constructing two semi-detached bungalows to accommodate medical doctors of the only health facility in the constituency at Apatrapa at a cost of GH¢90,000.00 with funds from the National Health Insurance Fund.
In addition, to cater for the health needs of the deprived, the aged and the disabled in the constituency, the MP said he had paid the NHIS premiums for more than 120 people.
Touching on environment and sanitation, Dr Akoto said he had launched a major initiative involving the planting of a targeted 10,000 teak seedlings each year on school compounds in the constituency.
He explained that schoolchildren were made to adopt and care for two to three seedlings each time of planting (May/June) until the seedlings were rooted.
Dr Akoto said the current installation of street lights by the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority was an opportunity for the area to be lit up and he gave an assurance that he would make the necessary contacts to ensure that the constituency got it share of the programme.
The MP called for the tarring of roads in the area, particularly the town roads of Kwadaso, Tanoso, Asuoyeboah and all new sites of the constituency.
He said even though through his incessant appeals and lobbying, the road at Nsema had now been tarred and gave an assurance he would continue to work around the clock for the tarring of roads at Kessben and Apire.