Zongo Ministry to establish 'Best Zongo Teacher' awards

The Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development (MZD) will by the beginning of 2017/2018 academic year roll out ‘Best Zongo Teacher Award’ to motivate teachers in Zongo areas to give their best in ensuring secular education strive in deprived areas in the country.

It is the expectation of the Ministry that the award would help bridge the gap and increase the numbers of deprived students who climb the educational ladder in the country.

The sector Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique said, quite often students from these areas were discriminated against because of their background and with the establishment of the awards teachers will be motivated to give their all in teaching students from these areas.

The Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina in the Greater Accra Region made this announcement when the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia, Mr. Dmitny Suslov paid a working visit to his office in Accra.

Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface said the Ministry is aware of the bilateral relation between Ghana and Russia over the years and know the roles the latter has played in the human development needs of the country.

He said it is the intension of the Ministry to source to scholarships for the teachers who emerged as the winners of the Best Zongo Teacher Awards.

“The Ministry is aware of the role Russia has played in the human resource development needs of the country and how the beneficiaries of the scholarships offered by Russia are helping the in the development of the economy today,” he explained.

It is the intent of the Ministry to use such bilateral relationships to boost the human development needs of the Zongo areas.

According to him, there are about six hundred Zongos and slum areas across the country with a population about four million similar to the population of Greater Accra Region.

“So such a huge constituency cannot be left out hence the decision of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo –Addo to create the Ministry to arrest some of the challenges confronting the Zongo areas,” he stressed.

He added that infrastructure, education and health are focal areas for the activities of the Ministry.

The President having identified these challenges took the decision to create the Ministry to address the challenges that have plagued the areas and to integrate all Zongo activities he told the Ambassador.

On his part, the Ambassador was full of the praise for the country for its democratic credentials in the sub-region.

He prevailed on the Ministry to peruse some of the proposals the Russian delegation made at the Ghana’s business forum to find means of how Russian can assist the Ministry.

He noted that it is the fervent hope of the delegation to assist in the railways development announced by the President in his inaugural address.

He expressed his willingness to assist the Ministry in rolling out its scholarship awards for the teachers in the Zongo areas.

He was full of praise for the government and Ghanaians for the hospitality they have shown him during his reign in the country.