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Four state institutions in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley municipalities of the Western Region have received two Toyota Hilux pickups and nine motorcycles from the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) to enhance their operations.
The presentation formed part of the Foundation’s efforts to support education, agriculture and community health services in the two municipalities.
The beneficiary institutions were the Ghana Education Service (GES), Department of Agriculture, Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of the Ghana Cocoa Board, and the Environmental Health Departments of the two municipalities.
Handing over the keys to representatives of the beneficiary institutions at the TnA Stadium, Mr Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of the GFGF, said the two Toyota Hilux pickups, valued at more than GH¢1.54 million, were allocated to the GES directorates in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley municipalities.
He said the nine motorcycles cost GH¢293,600.00, with three allocated to the Department of Agriculture in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality and two to its counterpart in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
Two were allocated to CHED of the Ghana Cocoa Board in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, while the Environmental Health Departments of the two municipalities received one each.
Mr Yakubu said the pickups would support the education directorates in supervision, monitoring, coordination of educational programmes and the conduct of examinations.
He said examinations such as the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) required effective coordination, supervision and movement of personnel and materials, and that the vehicles would help the GES to effectively discharge those responsibilities.
Mr Yakubu said the education directorates also supported several educational activities within their host communities, including the Vacation Initiative for Basic Education (VIBE), Ada Lovelace Day and other programmes that brought together schools, teachers, children, parents and other stakeholders.
On agriculture, he said the motorcycles would enable officers of the Departments of Agriculture to undertake more farm visits, with particular attention to oil palm production, while supporting CHED’s outreach activities in cocoa-growing communities.
Mr Yakubu said the motorcycles would also enable the Environmental Health Departments to respond more quickly to health concerns, challenges and emergencies in the communities.
He said education, health and agriculture were three key areas of investment by the Foundation, adding that it had invested US$113 million over the years, including more than US$16.18 million in various educational programmes and initiatives.
Mr Emmanuel Essuman, Western Regional Director of Education, expressed gratitude to the GFGF for the support.
He said some supervisors had been using their personal motorcycles for monitoring activities, many of which had broken down due to the poor road network.
Mr Essuman said the new vehicles would enable supervisors to undertake regular visits to schools to assess the challenges confronting learners and teachers and help address them.
Mr Issah Salifu Taylor, Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, commended the GFGF for the gesture and urged the beneficiary institutions to regularly maintain the vehicles and motorcycles to keep them in good condition.
Source: GNA