Ultra modern Community Information Centre inaugurated in the Okere constituency

An ultra modern Community Information Centre (CIC) has been inaugurated at Amanfro, in the Okere constituency of the Eastern Region to provide practical lessons in Information Communication Technology for over 2,000 pupils in the catchment area.

Twenty basic schools in the communities, including Nsutem, Amanfro, Kobokobo, Asenema, Bepoase, Okrakwdwo, Nyameberkyere and its satellite communities would use the centre for their practical lessons in ICT for improved performance.

This will also provide internet services to the communities and end the stress of children in that area having to trek to Koforidua, Nkurakan and Akropong to check for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and computer placement on the internet.

The facility consisting of two separate café/computer centres, library, dining area and pantry, reception, a mangers office and a 250-seater capacity conference hall at a cost of GH?740,000, was through the initiative of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the MP said the move was to ensure that no child, irrespective of his or her location, lack the opportunity to have knowledge in computer education since it has become a global requirement.

Mr Botwe noted that, even though Akuapem was known to be the cradle of education, there were town and communities down the Akuapem ridge that needed the intervention to ensure that children in that location were not left out in the quest of delivering quality education, particularly in the area of ICT, which had become an examinable subject.

He said all the basic schools in the catchment area would rotate shifts for practicals, and that, all arrangement were advanced to facilitate the smooth movement of the children from their respective schools to the centre on each practical lesson day.

The MP commended the chiefs and the opinion leaders of the area for their immense support towards the completion of the project within a record time of six months, adding that, it was one of the only two of such facilities in the entire region.

Mrs Ursula Ekuful, Minister of Communications, who jointly inaugurated the facility with the MP, urge the traditional authorities to take keen interest in the facility to ensure that the purpose of equipping every child with computer knowledge was achieved.