Parliamentary candidates outline their programmes

Suhum (E/R), Nov.27, GNA- Parliamentary Candidates contesting the Suhum seat have pledged to make education and employment generation their priorities if they were each voted as the member of parliament. The candidates were Mr Jacob Kwaku Arkoh, PNC, Mr Albert Awartey, CPP, Mr Julius Debrah, NDC and Mr Fred Opare-Ansah, NPP.

The candidates made this known on Wednesday, at a forum organized by the Association of Civil Societies Organizations at Suhum in the Eastern Region, them to make known their programmes to the electorate. They said they would initiate educational programmes by setting up of cr=E8ches, providing teachers in the rural areas with bicycles and offering scholarships for needy students.

They also pledged to embark on crusade against HIV/AIDS in the area.

Mr Arkoh said he would liaise with the Ghana Education Service (GES), so that teachers would receive their monthly salary promptly so that they would put in their best.

He said the poor standard of education in the area could be attributed to non-performance of some teachers.

Mr Awartey said he would use part of his MP's Common Fund to purchase bicycles for all teachers in the area to facilitate their movement.

Mr Debrah said if elected, he would establish an exchange programme for teachers who performed well to be sent abroad for refresher courses.

He would also collaborate with some international NGO's to assist him rehabilitate some bad roads in the area.

Mr Opare-Ansah, said since pre-school had become part of the basic education, he would collaborate with the District Assembly to use part of his MPs Common Fund to build nurseries in all the villages within the constituency to enable children start school in their formative years. He said if elected, he would lobby for the abandoned Suhum garment factory to become one of the President's Special Initiatives (PSI) to be operated under the AGOA trade terms, as a means of revamping the industry and creating employment for the people.

Mr Opare-Ansah said as a professional communications engineer, he would create ICT centres at vantage points to hook the people to Internet facilities and attract qualified teachers to accept postings to the area. The candidates thanked the organizers for the opportunity offered them to outline their visions and appealed to the people to turn up in numbers on the polling day to vote.