Sunyani (B/A), Oct.13, GNA - Nana Kwaku Dwuma Ankoana II, Paramount Chief of Seikwa Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region on Friday suggested the establishment of a regional educational and development endowment fund, to put the Region on stronger pedestal of development. He said it would help prepare the youth for educational sponsorships in various academic disciplines, professions, vocations and trade to ensure availability of human resources to accelerate the economic development of the Region.

He said with the celebration of the Region's golden jubilee, the creation of such a fund was long overdue because it would be of enormous benefit to the entire region in its medium to long-term development. Nana Ankoana who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, called on stakeholders including politicians, academicians, the clergy and civil society, to form a body that would see to the planning and launching of such a fund. He said beside all the internal efforts in raising the seed amount, "we can also count on the contribution of the sons and daughters of the Region in Europe and the Americas".

The paramount chief said that the establishment of the of the Regional Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre in Sunyani, as a monument of the 50th anniversary was commendable because the world had become a global village due to ICT. He expressed regret that it would not be enough "if the regional educational and development endowment fund is not established as a matter of urgency and importance". He said some traditional areas in the region including Nkoranza, Dormaa and Seikwa had already created their own educational funds, but that was not sufficient because it only benefited few people in particular areas of the Region. The Paramount Chief expressed the hope that the presence of about five tertiary institutions and the Bui Dam Hydro-Power scheme "will spur us on to form a committee now to work out the modalities and realization of such a viable project". This he explained would be economically beneficial and easier for more second cycle leavers in the region to gain access to tertiary level education.

Nana Ankoana questioned that by 2014-2015 when the Bui Dam would be fully operational, "how many of our sons and daughters are going to be employed in the management of the facility" adding, "how many of our citizens are even working in management positions of the RCC and the Municipal and District Assemblies?

He therefore stated that the Region needed to train more professionals to bring immense benefit to both the Region and the country. The Paramount Chief emphasised that "we must act collectively now to help brilliant but needy pupils and students, since through that the regional hospital and other health and educational set-ups in the Region will cease to complain of inadequate personnel".

Nana Ankoana cited that "the socially and economically advanced countries have reached where they are now because from the community to national level they mobilized logistics and resources to make formal education possible for every citizen".

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu II, Paramount Chief of Dormaa also in a telephone interview lauded the suggestion as "very timely and far reaching". He added that the most essential factors to ensure the successful take off and implementation of such a project was "focus and commitment" on the part of the chiefs and members of whatever management committee that would be put in place to administer the funds. Nana Agyemang Badu expressed the belief that the Region was well endowed with human and material resources for the commencement and realization of such a dream.

"We will have to do the groundwork very well by identifying how funds will be generated to keep the project going," he said. The Paramount Chief expressed the hope that each traditional area in the Region would be able to contribute towards the seed money. 13 Dec. 09