The First lady of the Republic, Mrs. Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo has cut sod for the construction of two Libraries in Amasaman and Bortianor in the Ga West and Ga South Municipalities in the Greater Accra Region.
When completed by November this year, the two forty-seater libraries funded by the Rebecca Foundation, will be fitted with computers and stocked with books and other reading materials to provide the youth with a conducive environment to learn.
In a brief speech Mrs. Akufo-Addo said any nation that wants to truly develop and become a global player must invest in the education of its people and that is why the NPP government led by her husband, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has invested so much in the education of the youth with the ultimate objective of creating an equal opportunity for the nation’s future leaders to harness their full potential.
She said since the inception of free SHS by the Akufo-Addo led NPP government, enrolment to SHS has increased with Government absorbing feeding fees, uniforms, books and even WASSCE examination fees, adding that recently government absorbed fees for BECE and is providing one hot meal to all BECE students.
All these, the First Lady said are indicative of the determination of a visionary leader like President Akufo-Addo and the NPP government who firmly believe that every child must be given an equal opportunity to succeed in life.
She said since 2017, the Rebecca Foundation has implemented a number of programmes to complement government’s efforts at developing the country’s human capital, but with special emphasis on women and children.
To this end, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said, The Rebecca Foundation has implemented programmes like “Because I want to be” which supports girls to stay in school and provide skills training and financial support to those who drop out and are unable to go back to school, and the “Learning to Read, Reading to learn” initiative, which provides libraries to schools and encourages children to read, through a television reading programme telecast on some TV stations.
The First Lady disclosed that so far, The Rebecca Foundation has put up four libraries in Daffiama Bussei Issa in the Upper West Region, Wenchi in the Bono Region, Sefwi Debiso in the Western North Region and Moree in the Central region with two more libraries under construction in Krachi in the Oti Region, and Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.
The First Lady expressed optimism that the libraries when completed will allow children to acquire knowledge through reading, and gain the confidence to succeed in life and urged community leaders and elders to encourage their children to make full use of them.
Present to witness both sod-cutting ceremonies were the MCE for Ga West Hon. Clement Wilkinson, MCE for Ga South, Hon. Joseph Nyarni, the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Amasaman Kwasi Afrifa Mensah, CEO of National Youth Authority and NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Bortianor/Ngleshie Amanfro Mr. Sylvester Tetteh, Director General of Ghana Library Authority, Mr. Hayford Siaw, as well as traditional leaders and residents of the Amasaman and Bortiano communities.
