Akufo-Addo’s free SHS is transforming our communities

Regional news for Friday, September 25, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-09-25

Heads of the traditional Tain area praised the government led by President Akufo-Addo for implementing the free high school policy and said it is transforming their communities.

At a durbar to welcome Vice President Mahammudu Bawumia on Thursday in Nsawkaw, bosses said Free SHS had made it possible for their children to access secondary education, hitherto out of reach for many.

Daasebre Okogyeaman Duodu Ampem III, Head of Nsawkaw, who spoke on behalf of the Tain bosses, said: “The people of Tain are very grateful for their free SHS. Today, most of our people are receiving free education and that will help us. “.

He said that as a poor and underserved community, Free SHS policy “will help change the socioeconomic makeup of our district.”

The chiefs exhorted the government to continue closing the country’s socioeconomic gap, especially in its traditional area.

“We are part of the marginalized, very poor, low-income, so the government should do everything possible to carry out infrastructure development in the area to help.

“Your program should be geared towards alleviating poverty in poor communities like Tain,” he said.

The Chiefs recognized the government’s ongoing cashew factory project in the area and called on the government to increase the price of cashew nuts.

“We grow cashew nuts and we know that there is an attempt to build a cashew factory for us; it is in process and we are waiting for it.”

“We also want him to do something about cashew prices because cashew farmers are complaining about the prices.”

Before Dr. Bawumia’s visit to Nsawkaw, he had visited Bongaase in the Banda constituency, where chiefs also expressed concern for the well-being of the cashew farmers.

The vice president spoke extensively about the government’s plan to prioritize the cultivation and processing of cashew nuts and other crops.

He said that Parliament had passed the Tree Crop Development Authority Bill and that the Authority would oversee cashew and other crop cultivation activities, just as the Cocoa Marketing Board did for cocoa.

On prices, the vice president said that the Tree Crop Development Authority would be the exclusive government agency to manage cashew prices, as well as conduct research on the value chain of cashew and other tree crops.