Akyempim Rural Bank honours national best teacher

Gomoa Obokrom (C/R), Nov 18, GNA - The Akyempim Rural Bank on Saturday presented a 21-inch Colour Television, assorted books worth 20 million cedis and an unspecified amount to this year's National Best Teacher, Mrs Faustina Gyaketey, for the honour she had done to the Gomoa District.

The Bank also donated a signpost, a set of jerseys and footballs to the Obokrom District Assembly Primary and Junior High Schools where she was teaching to improve sporting activities.

Col (Rtd.) K K Nyame, Chairman of the Board of Directors made the presentation at a durbar of the Chiefs, parents, teachers and school children, said the Bank had provided 2.5 billion cedis to improve education in Gomoa District.

He expressed concern about the poor standard of education in the area and noted that for 14 Junior High Schools in the area to score zero percent in the 2007 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) was "not good enough".

The Board Chairman said the Bank decided to honour the National Best Teacher because "she is a precious and a regular customer" and urged her to work hard to justify the award. Col Nyame advocated for the re-introduction of canning in schools to ensure what he called "help shape" pupils and students and to encourage them to learn harder.

He advised parents not to spend their resources on funeral cloths, drinks and litigations but to invest in their children's education. Mr Jacob Wellington Assan, General Manager of the Bank, said the Bank sponsored Mrs Gyaketey to attend various courses that contributed to her "grabbing the award".

He enumerated a number of products the bank had unveiled to sponsor fresher students of the University of Education, Winneba to pursue higher education and for workers.

The Manager mentioned the facilities as the "Akwaaba Fresher", "Acquired Property Product", "ENAM-University of Ghana Micro Finance Project", "Freedom from Hunger"; "General Trading Savings Scheme" and "the Oiko Credit Scheme".

Mr Assan said the bank would start the disbursement of 300 million cedis and 1.5 billion cedis respectively next month under its micro finance, which he described as the "backbone" of rural bank operations. The Manager said the Bank had instituted credit facilities for salaried workers and customers to enable them to expand their businesses and projects.

Mr Ebenezer Aidoo, Chairman of the School Management Committee (SMC) of the Obokrom JHS, said the parents had decided to motivate the teachers to conduct extra classes for the pupils and students. He said the Committee in collaboration with the Chiefs had banned long funereal rites in the town, which started on Thursday till Sunday midnight to encourage pupils and students to concentrate on their books. Mrs Gyaketey expressed appreciation to the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Bank for the donation and pledged to work harder to enable students to get good grades at the BECE. 18 Nov 07