Twumkrom Community gets $350,000 multi-purpose education facility

The Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, the Chairman of the National Peace Council, on Sunday inaugurated a multi-purpose education facility for the Twumkrom Community in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The Twum-Barima Complex with modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, library, a conference hall, durbar ground, science laboratory and changing and wash rooms were constructed at the cost of 350,000 dollars by Dr and Mrs Twum-Barima, Canadian-based Ghanaian philanthropists.

Construction works on a modern recreational centre, which would have offices with computers, reading and textbooks, is expected to begin very soon.

Most Rev. Prof. Asante said society looked on wealthy and successful individuals and couples to contribute to improving the socio-economic livelihoods of the ordinary people.

He, however, added that peace and social cohesion remained key ingredients to pushing forward development and advised Ghanaians to cherish and protect the prevailing peace in the country.

Most Rev. Prof. Asante advised the community to take proper care of the facility and urged pupils and students there to take advantage of it to enhance their knowledge in ICT.

He commended Dr and Mrs Twum-Barima for the gesture and called for the support of non-governmental organisations and corporate institutions towards improving on education in rural areas.

Most Rev. Prof. Asante described the education gap between rural and urban areas as an "injustice" and implored the Government and its partners as well as religious organisations to help address the existing gap.

He observed that the lack of educational materials and inadequate infrastructure negatively affected the academic performance of pupils and students in rural areas.

Most Rev. Prof. Asante said the country could promote equal and quality education among citizens if it was able to bridge the existing gap in the rural and urban centres and appealed to the Government to place priority on bridging the gap.

Dr David Yaw Twum-Barima, a native of Twumkrom, said the facility would be useless if the pupils and students failed to utilise it effectively.

He advised pupils and students to concentrate on their books and eschew unhealthy lifestyles that could ruin their future.

Dr Twum-Barima also appealed to teachers to guide the pupils and students to use the computers to improve on their ICT knowledge.