Education Fund Bags ?147m

THE KASAPREKO Educational Fund launched last year by the Omanhene of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Kasapreko Kwame Bassanyin III, was to receive a total amount of ?147 million to cater for scholarship awards to about 20 students entering the Senior Secondary School (SSS) this academic year 2002/2003.

They are the Wassa Amenfi District Assembly (WADA), Samatex, a timber firm and the traditional council.

The administrative Manager of the Kasapreko Education Fund, Mr. J. F. K. Oppong, hinted that Samatex started the scholarship scheme since 1999 for every two students a year and has now about eight of them on their role in the SSS.

Mr. Oppong reiterated that the Samatex has, however, expressed their sentiments about the activities of illegal chain-saw operators encroaching their land concession coupled with indiscriminate felling of trees.

He thus entreated the chiefs in the various communities within the operational zone of the company to stop all the 32 timber contractors who did nothing to assist the communities nor pay any royalties.

Adding that the Sahara desert covered every year about six miles land area in its spread which must be taken very seriously with afforestation exercise by planting trees to replace the lost ones.

Meanwhile, another timber firm SMS also offered scholarship to one student a year.