PCs in Suhum take part in election forum

Suhum (E/R), Nov.25, GNA - The Parliamentary candidates for the Suhum Constituency in the Eastern Region on Wednesday pledged their commitment to the promotion of education and employment generation. The candidates were Mr Jacob Kwaku Arkoh of the People's National Convention (PNC); Mr Albert Awartey of Convention People's Party (CPP); Mr Julius Debrah of National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mr Fred Opare-Ansah of New Patriotic Party (NPP).

They expressed the commitment at a debate organised by the Association of Civil Societies Organisations at Suhum, to create a common platform for them to disseminate their political manifestoes. The Candidates said they would set up cr=E8ches, institute scholarship schemes for needy students and provide teachers in the rural areas with bicycles.

They would also embark on a massive public education crusade against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The PNC candidate, Mr Arkoh said he would liaise with the Ghana Education Service to put in mechanisms for teachers to receive their monthly salaries from their circuit supervisors, to help promote productivity.

He said the poor standard of education in the area was due to the fact that some teachers were idling about and yet they received their salaries regularly.

Mr Awartey of the CPP said he would use part of the Member of Parliament's (MP's) share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) to purchase bicycles for all teachers in the Constituency to facilitate their movement and set up of scholarship schemes for brilliant but needy children.

The NDC candidate, Mr Debrah said he had plans to establish an exchange programme between best performing teachers in the Constituency with their counterpart's abroad.

He would also collaborate with nongovernmental organisations to improve the road network in the area to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs to marketing centres.

The NPP candidate, Mr Opare-Ansah said since pre-school had become part of basic education, he would collaborate with the District Assembly to use part of his MP's Fund to build nurseries in all the villages within the Constituency.

He said he would also lobby for the abandoned Suhum Garment Factory to be revamped and made part of the President's Special Initiatives. Mr Opare-Ansah said as a professional Communications Engineer, he would create Information, Communication and Technology Centres at vantage points to hook the people to the Internet.