The minister and members of the delegation pose with the envoy after the visit
The Saudi government has pledged to support the Ministry of Inner-City and Zongo Development (MICZD) towards making Arabic and Islamic teachings examinable subjects at the basic level.
The Saudi government’s support for the Arabic and Islamic teachings falls in line with the ministry’s module being rolled out in collaboration with the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to employ some Arabic teachers.
The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Ghana, Abdukarim Mohammed Alluhidan made this pledge when the Minister for Inner-City and Zongo Development; AlhajiAbubakarSaddique Boniface together with his team from the ministry led by the Chief Director, Gifty Mahama, Kwadwo Sarfo Ohene, Special Advisor to the Minister, Amina Sammo, director of projects and programmes, Dr. Joseph Damoe, Director of Research Statistics and Information Management, Â paid a courtesy call on him to seek assistance for the training of Arabic teachers.
The ministry said it is the desire of the government to make Arabic and Islamic teachings in the country examinable to boost the learning of the language in the Zongo communities.
The ambassador informed the Minister and his team that the Saudi government has already brought in five of her nationals who are teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies in some schools.
According to him, this is not enough and the Saudi government is willing to assist in more diverse ways in the country.
‘We will be more than willing to offer the needed assistance with the collaboration of the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs.
‘So please do well to let the embassy know the areas the ministry needs the assistance to make this module a reality,’ he said.
He called on Ghanaians who are seeking further studies in Saudi Abrabia to log on to the Saudi government website to apply for the needed scholarship.
He was quick to remind the team to keep his office updated on the needs of the ministry for the Saudi government to find ways of assisting the baby ministry that targets the Zongo communities.
Briefing the Ambassador earlier, the sector minister said because the ministry is new, the task ahead is challenging hence the Saudi embassy being the first point of call for support.
He said when the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo established the ministry many did not understand why but developments in the Zongo communities over the years were not properly coordinated.
‘It is this reason the ministry was set up by the president to coordinate developments in the Zongo communities,’ he added.
According to the minister, the day to day definition of Zongo has changed as the community is now heterogeneous; dominated, however, by Moslems.
The Zongo community is now composed of different ethnicities with Hausa being the dominant language, he stated.