The Ministry of Inner-City and Zongo Development, Thursday launched the second phase of the Arabic Instructors Programme to give opportunity to 3000 instructors to coordinate Arabic studies in basic and senior high schools.

The 3000 instructors were selected from 18,000 applications the Ministry received after the programme opened on July 6, 2020.

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Sector Minister, said the Ministry was organising a training programme for the instructors and coordinators to commence work when schools reopened. He said the Ministry was working to change the two-year renewable contract programme to a permanent one registered under the Ministry of Education.

He, therefore, advised that the participants to improve their knowledge in Arabic studies to be able to meet the requirements of the Ghana Education Service when the programme materialised. “I entreat all the Arabic instructors to further their education and not be comfortable just for being part of the Government’s initiative. You must integrate and develop yourselves also in the English Language to gain access to further your education in other fields,” he added.

He said Muslims, according to the Holy Qur’an, were the best in creation, however, Muslim-dominated communities had the most unsanitary environments and were the most deprived. “It doesn’t mean Allah lied, but it is the change of our character and nature that could make us witness an outward positive change,” he added.

Dr Abdul-Hamid advised them to love one another and not allow themselves to be disintegrated by their love for different political parties.

The Minister said his office had developed the Targeted Education Improvement Programme to elevate at least two junior high schools to module schools or schools of excellence.

The Zongo Development Fund, he said, was mandated to bear the cost of textbooks and motivate teachers to offer the best form of teaching.

“This is necessary because Muslims cannot even boast of one school of excellence that parents would proudly recommend for their children,” he added.

Is-Hak Suleman Naaba Sigirie, the Chief of Moshie, Greater Accra, and General Secretary of the Council of Zongo Chiefs, said many Zongo Islamic scholars were struggling to secure jobs and expressed the hope that the initiative would help create jobs for them to improve their standards of living.

He bemoaned the tag of Muslims in Zongo communities as ‘violent’ and said; “The Zongo people are not violent people, never. When we are tagged as violent people it is very disheartening. So Zongo people, rise up and do something better with your lives to obtain a positive image.”

Alhaj Ibrahim Bashiru, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Youth Employment Agency, said the phase two of the programme was an improvement on the first phase, which would offer better services and yield better results.

Mr Arafat Suleiman, the Chief Executive Officer, Zongo Development Fund, said the Fund appreciated the collaboration with the programme as it would help restore security.

He advised applicants who were not selected for the programme to support it while they remained optimistic about being selected for the next phase.