NPP will not bribe the electorate - Horner-Sam

Ayensukrom (W/R), Oct. 12, GNA - Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would not give out money to the electorate to vote for the Party in the forthcoming elections.

She was inaugurating blocks of three classrooms at separate ceremonies at Ayensukrom in the Amenfi West District and at Jappa and Hiawa in the Amenfi East District.

The Deputy Regional Minister was on a two-day monitoring visit to the two Districts. The school block at Ayensukrom cost 160 million cedis and was financed with Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Funds while those at Jappa and Hiawa were constructed with the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) at the cost of 185 million cedis each.

Madam Horner-Sam said it was not part of NPP's campaign strategy to induce the electorate with bribes to vote for the Party and urged the electorate not to allow politicians to influence them with money. Madam Horner-Sam said the electorate had to make their own decision on which party to vote for based on their perception of the level of development the NPP had brought into the country since assuming office.

Madam Horner-Sam expressed concern about low enrolment and poor attendance in schools in some areas.

She said this could be due to the fact that farmers in those areas were engaging their children on their farms.

She urged cocoa farmers especially not to use their children on their farms at the expense of their education as a result of the boom in the industry.

They should also avoid forcing their young daughters into early marriage at the expense of their education, Madam Horner-Sam said. She advised Galamsey Operators against using mercury to extract gold since it was harmful to health.

Madam Horner-Sam said education had no end and, therefore, asked the youth to pursue education to enable them to contribute to national development.

Mr Samuel Tekyi, Amenfi West District Chief Executive, spoke about the shortage of teachers in the District. He said 60 trained teachers were posted to the area this year but 45 of them had left to pursue higher education.

Mr Tekyi said the District Assembly was trying to make up for the shortfall by recruiting pupil teachers and sponsoring student teachers that would have to work in the District after the completion of their courses.

He said so far, the Assembly was sponsoring over 100 student teachers.

Dr Linda Van-Otoo, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Director of the Ghana Health Service, who was among the Deputy Minister's entourage, advised nursing mothers to endeavour to breast-feed their children for at least six months.

She said breast-feeding would ensure healthy growth of children. Dr Van-Otoo asked people, who frequently fell sick, to go to hospital for medical examination.