Accra, Oct. 22, GNA – Mr Fred Oware, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), has inaugurated an ultra-modern Innovative Centre to provide Science and Technology education to young people in the dam’s catchment area.
Mr Oware personally funded the establishment of the ‘Fred Oware Innovative Centre’ (FOIC) at the Bui Resettlement Camp to afford pupils at the BPA Basic School an opportunity to undertake their ICT and science-related practicals in a more serene and advanced environment.
The FOIC has ICT, Robotic, science laboratories and library.
It will offer assistance to participants, essentially the youth within the Bui enclave, Bator, Dokokyina and Bui, to experience hands-on learning in creative development and technology.
Its operations would leverage on the high intellectual skills set at the BPA to realize its vision and would involve the engagement of the Authority’s staff to offer part-time facilitation services for participants who would go through an intensive six-month hand on and classroom lectures.
According to Mr Oware, advanced knowledge in science and technology would make things easier for the people, while the use of robotics in teaching would excite the understanding of the pupils in the study of science.
Globally, he explained robotics was gradually becoming a major subject due to the emergence of science and technology hence the need to make the subject attractive at the basic school level for pupils to be advanced in technology and globalization.
Mr Maxwell Wumbilla Salifu, the Director of General Services of the BPA, described the initiative as laudable and expressed the hope that the FOIC would produce scientists from the Bui township and its catchment communities who would contribute to the development of science, technology and robotic in Ghana and the world at large.
Mr Afare Apeadu Donkor, the Board Chair of the BPA, who handed over the keys to the FOIC to the BPA, commended Mr Oware for the gesture and added the Board would ensure the Authority set aside funds and resources that would maintain and further develop the centre.
“It is our firm resolve that this legacy will continue to outlive Mr Oware’s tenure because of the immense benefits it has for the people of this community,” he said.
Mrs Mary Kone, the Banda District Chief Executive, expressed the government’s appreciation to Mr Oware and expressed the hope that young people in the area would take advantage of the FOIC to grow and become useful in society.
She gave the assurance that the Assembly would provide the necessary support to make the centre relevant and to develop a quality human resource base required for the development of the area and the district in general.
Nana Kwadwo Wuo II, the Chief of Bui, observed the advent and operations of the BPA had enhanced the socio-economic livelihoods of the people, saying with the Authority’s assistance many young people had gone through employable skills training and established their private businesses.
He said a scholarship scheme set up by the BPA had also supported many students to obtain tertiary education, but appealed to the Authority to expand and upgrade the health centre in the area into a hospital.
Nana Wuo II noted the Bui enclave remained an enterprising tourist area and entreated the BPA to develop and open up the area to attract tourists to boost eco-tourism.
He said the situation where the area continued to experience intermittent power outages was unpleasant for tourists and called on the Authority to address it and to ensure regular power supply.
