Mr Asubonteng presenting a dummy cheque to Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II
ANGLOGOLD Ashanti (AGA) has donated GH?25,000 to the Adansi Traditional Council in support of the paramount chief’s education programme that offers free remedial classes for failed Senior High School students in six districts.
The beneficiary districts are Adansi North, Adansi South, Obuasi Municipal, Obuasi East, Adansi Asokwa, and Adansi Akrofuom.
The Opagyakotwere SHS remedial programme, which was initiated by the Adansihene, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II in 2015, has benefited 1,250 students, who failed papers in English, Mathematics and Science subjects.
A total of 709 students out of the number were said to have passed with distinction since the introduction of the programme and can continue their education at the tertiary level.
Presenting a dummy cheque at a sitting at the Bonsra Afriyie Palace at Fomena on Tuesday, Managing Director (MD) of AGA, Eric Asubonteng, said education remained one of the company’s priority issues, beside health and agriculture.
According to him, the cash donation was in recognition of the funding gap for the programme, which has given new life to many students who could not afford re-sits of their papers.
He disclosed that the mining company had fashioned out a programme dubbed, Social Management Plan, which incorporates education, health and agriculture issues within its host communities for support.
“This brought about the Obuasi campus of KNUST and the expansion of infrastructure at the AGA School to open up for more children from our communities to also have best quality education,” he stated.
Mr Asubonteng said AGA was supporting many public schools with dual desks as part of its social investment activities, pointing out that the company places high value on education.
The Adansihene, on his part, said he wanted to ensure that all young people in the traditional area got the best possible start in life, and that education guaranteed the best possible start.
He recalled how his registration fee was paid by his head teacher in the 60s, and added that he would not have occupied the Adansi stool had it not been that support from his head teacher.
For him, the education programme is his widow’s mite to government’s effort in making education available and accessible for all.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Fomena