SPEED UP INAUGURATION OF BIAKOYE DISTRICT (PAGE 12, SEPT 21, 2010)

Story: Tim Dzamboe, Bowiri-Kwamikrom

THE people of Bowiri traditional area have fervently appealed to government to speed up the inauguration of the newly created Biakoye district in order for the people to have their fair share of development.
“We in this district have co-existed peacefully for long, hence the name Biakoye, so we appeal to government to take a prompt action to site the capital where it will benefit all,” they stated.
It will be recalled that the creation of the Biakoye district, carved from the Jasikan district, had come to a stalemate due to the rejection of a section of the people on the siting of the district capital at Nkonya-Ahenkro.
There had been a court action by a section of the people aimed at siting the capital at Worawora while the people of Bowiri traditional area were also agitating for the capital to be sited at Kwamikrom on the basis that it was centrally located.
The appeal was made by a sub-chief of Bowiri- Amanfrom, Nana Okugyeoman Simpripi, at a fund-raising rally in aid of the establishment of the Bowiri Senior High School at Bowiri- Kwamikrom.
He lamented on the poor road network linking Kwamikrom and Jasikan and said it was in such a deplorable state and drivers had abandoned it although it was the shortest route to Jasikan.
He said the people of Takrabe had to detour to Kwamikrom and go through Tapa Aboatoase before getting to Jasikan although it was a direct journey of six kilometres to Jasikan.
Nana Simpripi said the people of Aboabo, Abohire, Kubease and Abetinase, along the route, faced similar frustrations and expressed the fear that lives could be lost in cases of health emergencies, hence the urgent call to give bitumen surface to the link between the Biakoye and Jasikan districts.
In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the event was laudable because it demonstrated the high sense of community self help spirit in the traditional area and also the importance attached to education by the people.
He underscored that the communities had an important role to play as stakeholders in the education of their children.
Mr Tettey-Enyo expressed regret that some parents had pushed their children into child labour, and given them away in marriage at tender ages when they should be in school; cautioning that “ if any parent here is guilty of these acts, they should make sure the child is returned to school.”
An amount of GH¢6,000 was realised at the fund-raising rally.