Anomabu (C/R), Aug. 31, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills has directed the Ministries of Communications and Education to team up to ensure the success of the proposed E- school project in the country. Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communication, who made this known at Anomabu in the Central Region, said the project would make computers available in some selected basic and senior high schools, to equip the students in their formative years to demystify the use of the facility, The Minister made the announcement at the inauguration of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre in the town at the weekend. He said President Mills was very determined to ensure that students used computers for their studies. The 80-unit ICT centre was established by the Anomabu Union, an umbrella of youth associations in the town. Mr Idrissu said President Mills had also instructed the two ministries to encourage the use of computers and networking for administrative purposes to facilitate the paperless phenomenon. The phenomenon, he said would be launched next year to reduce the cost of running offices.
The Minister cautioned the youth against the criminal use of ICT, saying the spate of criminal activities being perpetrated by the youth is alarming and a source of concern to the government. "Let me take this opportunity to strongly advise the youth of this community and all who might use this facility to desist from the temptation of using it for fraudulent purposes," he stressed. Mr Idrissu said the government was in the process of setting up an Emergency Response Unit, comprising experts from all security agencies to deal decisively with activities pertaining to cyber crime. He said if cyber crime and cyber security were not addressed aggressively, the country's image in creating an enabling environment for ICT and the needed socio-economic development would be dented. The minister expressed worry about the poor performance of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and girls who dropped out of school before the examinations. He recalled the universal acclaimed quotation of Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, a renowned citizen of Anomabu that the surest way to keep people down is to educate the men and neglect women, adding: "If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family."
He called on parents to encourage the girl-child to stay in school to complete at least the basic school education, stressing: "What a boy can do, given the chance, a girl can do better." Mr Idrissu appealed to the authorities to give equal opportunity to both boys and girls in the use of the facility. Mrs Ama-Benyiwa_Doe, Regional Minister also expressed disappointment about BECE results in the region and called on teachers and pupils of Anomabu, to let the ICT centre make a difference in subsequent examinations.
Nana Obuesiwua IV, Twafohene of Anomabu expressed the hope that teachers would guide children in the use of facilities at the centre. Mr Kodwo Ahlijah, President of Anomabu Union, said the centre would offer the opportunity for people who had completed school and school dropouts who were not in gainful employment to become computer literate.
He said the union had also proposed the setting up of a vocational institute to help people to acquire skills. Dr Joseph Annan, Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem and Deputy Minister of Education, who chaired the function, described a scholar who had no knowledge in ICT as an illiterate. 31 Aug. 09
