Use internet for career development

Dr Edward Omane Baomah, Minister of Communications has cautioned Ghanaian youth against cyber related crimes and instead use the internet for career and academic advancement that would inure to national development.

He said government was establishing a computer emergency response unit to deal with cyber insecurity, as it (government) would not allow its investments in the sector to be misapplied.

Dr Omane-Baomah was commissioning four enhanced Community Information Centres, under the E-Government Platform Project at Keta and Tegbi, in the Keta Municipality and Mepe and Battor in the North-Tongu District.

The Keta and Battor Facilities, worth GH? 470,000.00 each, are among 21 such centres being built across the country, while the Mepe and Tegbi facilities, worth GH?300,000.00 each, were built three years ago under a previous project.

The facilities are meant to bring ICT and internet facilities closer to the people, particularly for education.

The Minister said ICT now rules the world, becoming unique for the advancement of every profession, including academic pursuits and networking.

He said in addition to the Eastern Corridor Fiber-Optic Backbone, linking communities in the Volta Region up to Bawku in the Upper-East Region, there was also underway, the Western Corridor Backbone, to link the Western Region to Hamile, in the Upper West Region for faster and cheaper internet accessibility.

Mr Omane-Baomah said people could now link up with Departments and Ministries through the internet, cutting travels and hours of doing business and travels.

Mr Francis Ganyaglo, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, who said the Volta Region was having a fair share of the national cake, promised that the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) would continually monitor the use of the facility to ensure government and donors does not regret the investment.

Mr Richard Quashigah, Member of Parliament (MP) Keta said there was the potential of ICT helping to offset the declining educational standards in the region.

Mr Samuel Okudjeto-Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Education and MP for North-Tongu, called for unity and hard work for North-Tongu to catch up with other areas in development.

The centres have 24-capacity internet cafes, stores, server units, E-libraries, conference rooms, business centres and receptions.