Regional Minister calls for joint bye-laws

Senya-Beraku (C/R), April 13, GNA- Mr Jacob Arthur, the Central Regional Minister, has called for the promulgation of joint bye-laws by district assemblies and traditional councils in the region to prevent school children from attending concert and video shows.

Under such bye-laws parents whose children are found loitering on the streets after 7 p.m., or attending video film shows, should be made to pay heavy fines. Mr Arthur made the call when he interacted with the chiefs and people of Senya Beraku in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District, as part of a familiarisation tour of the region.

He expressed concern about the continued falling standards of education in the region in recent years, especially at the basic level, and said something concrete must be done to arrest the situation.

Mr Arthur identified lack of effective parental control as one of the major causes undermining educational development in the region. He noted the poor results of Basic Education Certificate Examinations in the region, which is acknowledged as the cradle of education, and charged all stakeholders in the sector to assist in reversing the trend.

The Regional Minister urged parents not to allow their children to spend all their leisure hours watching television programmes to the detriment of their education. "You must first and foremost realise that the nation's future rests on the young ones and that your failure to ensure their proper upbringing will spell the doom of the nation".

Mr Arthur who was accompanied by his Deputy, Mr H. Q. Jehu-Appiah, advised the people to initiate more self-help projects to support the development efforts of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly.

He urged those who have registered as voters to cross-check their names on the register when the review exercise schedule for May, opens. Those who are eligible to vote were also asked to register to be able to exercise their franchise in the December general elections.

Mr Daniel William Osardu the District Chief Executive, thanked the Regional Minister for the visit, which he said, would inspire the people to embark on more self-help programmes to improve their living conditions.

He announced that the district assembly has built new school blocks and rehabilitated some of the old schools as its contribution towards the promotion of education in the area.

A spokesman for the people commended the government for initiating a number of development projects in the district. He assured the Regional Minister that the chiefs and elders in the town would team up with the relevant organs of the government to educate the electorate on the importance of the forthcoming review of the voter's register.