Essiama students jubilate over ICT centre

Students of Essiama in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, on Saturday expressed joy over the establishment of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre in the area by MTN Ghana and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The students, who danced the “kumdum” traditional dance of the area at a ceremony in appreciation of the assistance at Essiama, said the facility would enhance learning to raise educational standards.

The 100,000 dollar facility, which has office for an administrator, is stocked with 22 computers and accessories.

MTN Ghana in partnership with the UNDP financed the project, which is located on the compound of Essiama Secondary Technical School at Essiama, a commercial town of the area.

A spokesperson for the students, Master Kelvin Ampah, a form three Senior High school student, said though they had access to computers it was woefully inadequate for them, and gave the assurance that the students would use the facility to improve on their academic work.

Nana Kofi Ampoe, chief of Essiama, advised the students to use the facility to acquire more skills and knowledge and not to use it to learn unproductive things.

Mr Kofi Eshun, District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, said a committee comprising stakeholders would be formed to supervise the use of the facility by the students and an administrator would be employed to manage the centre.

Mrs Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Services Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, said the MTN Ghana Foundation, has since its establishment in 2007 invested more than GHC9.668.815.27 million in health, education and economic empowerment projects in across the country.

She said the Western Region alone has benefitted from GHC1, 162,544 for health, educational and socio-economic projects.

Mrs Lumor mentioned Ahantaman Senior High School, Wassa Dunkwa Health Centre, Shama Hospital, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, as institutions and Sefwi Abono and Sekondi, which benefited from the support.

Mr Fred Ampiaw, UNDP Advisor, said the Programme regretted that though ICT is part of core subjects at the basic education level, some schools do not have access to the facility

He asked the students to use the facility judiciously to acquire knowledge to enable them to compete with the outside world.

Madam Caroline Gyimah, Director of Ellembelle Educational Directorate, noted that global educational trend was changing and there was the need for Ghana to be abreast with ICT.