Sikkens Educational Trust Launched

Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, says Ghana can achieve gigantic strides in the economy and social sectors as in Asian countries, by improving the quality of human resources without necessarily relying on natural resources.

"This explains the preoccupation of nation to invest in the development of human resources by equipping them with scientific and technological knowledge as well as technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills," he said.

Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi made the remark when he launched the "Sikkens Educational Trust (SET)", in Accra last week. The educational fund aims at raising ?500 million in next two years to provide scholarships for brilliant but financially challenged students of Kwahu (South and North) in the Eastern Region.

The Minister also inaugurated a seven-member Board of Trustees chaired by Prof. George Stephen Asante, former Head, Biochemistry Department, University of Ghana, to manage the funds.

He said the greatest challenge facing African countries in the 21st century is how to strengthen participation in the global economy and said if this is addressed Africa would be a victor in the fight against hunger, poverty, ignorance and disease.

Prof. Akumfi said in light of this the government has constituted an Educational Review Committee tasked with reviewing the current educational structure.

He said the government plans to use funds accruing from the HIPC initiative to rehabilitate about 3000 basic schools.

He lauded the gesture of Sikkens and said government alone cannot shoulder the burden of providing quality education to citizens of this country and therefore urged other bodies to join the effort to revitalize education in Ghana. He appealed to the Trustees to avoid discrimination in the award of the scholarship.

Mr. Kwame Ofosu Bamfo, Managing Director, Bamson Limited, said he set up the funds to assist the gifted but needy JSS and SSS students in the two areas to allow such people to pursue their educational dreams.

He appealed to the Trustees to use their expertise and knowledge to enhance the image and growth of the funds.

Mr. Bamfo presented a cheque of ?125,000,000 to Prof George Asante as the seed amount for the establishment of the Sikkens Fund and called on companies and individuals in the area to contribute generously to the fund.

Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister for Private Sector Development, chaired the occasion.