The North Tongu District Assembly has presented working tools to identified master craft men and women in the district, who own their own shops but lack the needed equipment that would enable them to work more effectively.
The Acting District Chief Executive for the area, Mr. Collins Richard Aku, who presented the equipment to the beneficiaries, explained that it was government’s policy to equip master craftsmen and women to enable them work and contribute meaningfully to the local economy. The ultimate aim, he continued, was to address the poor income status of people who had learnt trade but could not derive much income from their businesses, due to lack of equipment to work with.
Mr. Aku said the items, including modern hair dressing machines, industrial sewing machines and cutters among others, were the initiative of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, through the Assembly to empower the craftsmen.
The Acting North Tongu DCE further explained that the presentation, which was the first phase of the policy, would have a second component, where more equipment would be provided for each of the identified master craftsmen and women to transform their shops into standard skill training centers.
Mr. Aku revealed that the Assembly had put in place a team, which would regularly monitor the activities of the beneficiaries. He also noted that when the items are properly utilised, the youth, who would benefit from the free skills training programme, would also be equipped with tools that would enable them to ply their trade.
According to him, a number of youth are interested in learning trade but the fees they are asked to pay by their masters put them off. But with the new module being introduced by the government, they now have the freedom to learn any trade of their choice.
Mr. Aku, however, cautioned the beneficiaries to make effective use of the equipment to enhance their economic activities and help address the unemployment situation in the North Tongu District. He cautioned that any of the beneficiaries found to have sold the equipment would be dealt with, stressing that government preferred teaching people how to fish instead of given them fish.
A Spokesperson for the beneficiaries, Mrs. Bushiratu Abdulmumin, thanked President Akufo-Addo and the North Tongu District Chief Executive for the vision and determination to support the growth of businesses in the area.
Mrs. Abdulmumin said though this is the not the first time they are receiving such items, they are so happy because this time round, they are not being asked to pay back, as previous governments were doing to them.
In a related development, the North Tongu District Assembly has embarked on a number of development projects that would help transform the area. These are the building of a modern court and an ambulance service office complex among others.
Mr Collins Richard Aku said in an interview that when he was appointed as DCE for the area, he took a decision to build a district court for his people, so as to remove the burden of travelling long distances to other districts such as Central and South Tongu to have their cases adjudicated.
Mr. Aku said the new court built at the district capital, Battor, would serve as a mitigating factor to reduce crime because the presence of the court alone would deter people from committing crime, just as the provision of police station in a community helps in reducing crime.
The DCE, therefore, urged the youth to regard the establishment of the court in the district as an opportunity that they should take advantage of, to pursue various educational programmes including law, to qualify them to work in the court in future.
According to Mr Anku, the Assembly also considered the health needs of the people and built an office complex for the ambulance service in the district, which has a bay, rest rooms for male and female staff, a common hall and accommodation with facilities that would make the staff more comfortable to respond to the needs of the people at all times.
The DCE explained that the construction of the office complex was financed by proceeds derived from the sale of premix fuel in the area.
The post North Tongu Assembly presents Craftsmen and women with equipment appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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