Government Has Fulfilled Promise - Osafo Maafo

Sports and Education Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo has disclosed that since 2001, the ministry has been supplying desks to schools.

This he said was done after the Education Service undertook an assessment of desk requirement of all schools in the country.

This he said is in fulfillment of the promise made by the president in his 2003 State of the Nation address to provide every Ghanaian school child withe a desk and textbook.

He stated that, President Kufour's address in 2003, reiterated the government's commitment to provide basic textbooks and desks to Ghanaian school children.

The minister said this in response to a question posed by the MP for North Dayi, Akua Dansua, on whether the President had fulfilled a promise made in the 2003 State of the Nation's address to provide Ghanaian school children with desks and textbooks.

Mr. Osafo Maafo noted that since 2002, the ministry and the education service embarked upon a programme to supply desks to all districts. Between 2001 and 2004, 537, 620 pieces of desks were supplied throughout the country.

This year, he said provision has been made for the supply of additional 300, 000 desks and under the recently approved GET Fund allocation by Parliament, there is an allocation of ?10 billion for the provision of school desks for schools in the three northern regions.

The member again asked the minister, if the Kpando sports stadium would be rehabilitated for use in international tournaments, especially the African cup of nation's tournament in 2008.

The minister in a response said, it is the intention of government to rehabilitate a number of stadia throughout the country to promote the development of sports.

He explained that for the CAN 2008 tournament, four sites would be used, namely; Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi - Takoradi and Tamale whilst the existing ones would be rehabilitated.

"It is expected that the Kpando sport stadium will be one of such stadia to be rehabilitated," he assured.