Engen Ghana donates to Ministry of Defence

Engen Ghana Limited has donated educational materials valued at GHC30,000.00 to the Ministry of Defence to revamp educational institutions under the military.

The items include: 3,000 exercise books; 19,300 A4 sized laminated periodic tables; and 1,900 A3 sized laminated periodic tables.

Mr Henry Akwaboah, the Managing Director of Engen Ghana, who presented the items, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the donation was the Oil Marketing Company’s contribution towards the general development of the country.

He said access to education was a human right and it could not be taken for granted; hence the need for the corporate world to support public educational institutions.

He expressed concern that across the world there were hundreds of children and youth who were being denied not only a right, but a fair chance of getting a decent job, escaping poverty, supporting their families, and developing their communities.

Mr Akwaboah called for stronger collaboration between the educational institutions and the corporate world.

“Over the years, governments and their partners have shown that political will and concerted efforts can deliver tremendous results – including halving the number of children and adolescents who are out of school”.

He said in spite of the economic challenges, parents must not stop providing enabling conditions for their children’s education.

He said Engen Ghana, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility mandate would continue to invest in the Ghanaian economy through social interventions.

Mr Akwaboah urged the Government to continue to work with parent and teacher associations, as well as the private sector and civil-society organisations, to find the best and most constructive ways to improve the quality of education.

Mr Gilbert Ken Adjei, the Deputy Minister of Defence (MOD), who received the items, commended Engen Ghana for the gesture towards improving educational institutions under the Defence Ministry.

He said the MOD would continue to focus on its key mandate of formulating, and managing the implementation of policies aimed at safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation, and ensuring the protection of life and property.

He said over the years, MOD had evolved and transformed itself to its current status of excellence with regard to the performance of its functions.

The MOD’s mandate is to formulate and implement policies for the defence of the nation through the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).