Oguaa fishermen want scholarships for their children

Cape Coast, May 16, GNA - The chief fisherman of Cape Coast, Nana Adaibie Akyer, on Tuesday expressed concern that the "high poverty levels" among fishermen in the municipality, had rendered many of them incapable of sending their children to school, or of educating them beyond the junior secondary school level.

He has, in this regard, urged the government to institute a scholarship scheme for children of fishermen, similar to that for children of cocoa farmers, and suggested that profits from the sale of pre-mix fuel could be used to start the scheme, to ensure that the maximum benefits are derived.

Nana Akyer, made the call, when fishermen in the municipality, met with the Central Regional Minister designate, Nana Ato Arthur, at Cape Coast, to congratulate him for his elevation to the position of Regional Minister, as well as put their problems before him. He also expressed concern about the high cost of outboard motors, which he said, now sold at 23.2 million cedis, which he said could not be afforded by many of the fishermen, and appealed to the government to subsidize the prices to enable many more fishermen to acquire them. He called on the Minister- designate to ensure that toilet facilities and refuse dumps were also provided for the fishing communities to curb the defecation and the dumping of refuse at the beaches.

During an open forum, the fishermen asked the government to create adequate landing bays and break waters along the beaches, especially at the Abrofo- Mpoano beach in Cape Coast, to enable them to get enough space for their boats and canoes.

They suggested that structures along that beach, such as the Legion Hall, and kiosks, should therefore be pulled down to create room for the construction of the landing bay.

For his part, Nana Arthur called for unity and peace among them, without which he said, there could be no meaningful development. He explained that the construction of storm drainage, storage facilities, breakwaters and landing bays, were "long term projects" but gave the assurance that feasibility studies would soon be conducted. He advised them to take advantage of the capitation grant to send their children to school and endeavour to "save a little towards their education" at the senior secondary school level.

On outboard motors, he expressed concern that, some fishermen who were provided some on credit basis about four year ago, were yet to pay for them and urged the defaulters to endeavour to settle their debts to enable others to benefit.

The fishermen, had earlier, conducted the Minister designate round the current landing bay at the Abrofo-Mpoano, which they said was too small to contain the number of canoes and boats that land there.