Accra, Oct 24, GNA – Telecommunication Companies (Telcos) in the country, have been urged to prioritize the execution of their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) mandate in the rural and poverty-prone communities, to aid socio-economic development in those areas.
Mr. Emmanuel Adjei Baafi, an Aspiring Assembly Member for the Ntunkumso Electoral Area in the Sekyere East District of Ashanti, said the CSRs could be deployed in the implementation of unmet needs in rural communities, such as classroom blocks, health centers, bore hole facilities among others.
Other areas of support could be in the empowerment and building of the capacities of farmers and petty traders, who were dominating the economic activities in these areas, saying this would help improve and sustain productivity, returns and businesses.
Mr Baafi, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Ntunkumso said the telcos should do more to use the CSRs to benefit rural communities, would contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to him, reducing inequalities and building sustainable cities and communities, would be in line with the goal 10 and 11 of the SDGs, which specifically necessitated the need for telecommunication companies, whose services were patronized across the country, to do more to commit their CSRs to the development of these rural communities.
The Assemblyman Aspirant maintained that the level of commitment of the telcos were not commensurate to the extent to which the rural population patronized telcos’ services and products, especially the mobile money services.
“However the impact of the services of telecommunication companies in the rural communities is crucial as the populace mainly depend on such for their daily living and economic activities
Especially, the huge patronage of the mobile money services of these telecommunication companies by the rural communities, which have come to ease access to financial transactions and money transfers to families, friends and business partners in these areas”, he emphasized.
The Aspirant, is the immediate past Assembly Member for the Electoral Area and the incumbent Presiding Member of the Sekyere East District Assembly.
Touching on some of his achievements, he said, through his interventions and strategic engagements with stakeholders, the Presby Primary School and R/C Primary School at Ntunkumso, was now benefiting from the School Feeding Programme.
These schools can now boast of Junior High Schools which begun in 2017 and 2018 for the R/C Basic School and Presby Basic School respectively, through what he described as “my strategic influence”.
Mr. Baafi said in the areas of health, he facilitated the establishment and commissioning of the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound in August, 2018 at the Ntunkumso community.
In addition, in collaboration with the District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, he also helped in finding a Physician Assistant for the facility as well as the accreditation of the facility under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Mr. Baafi said the existence and access of the services of MTN, Vodafone and Airtel-Tigo in the electoral area, were through his strategic engagement and interventions.
“Facilitating the free access of needy persons to the NHIS, financial support, and empowerment of women and youth in the area, with the collaboration of NGOs, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, the current MP for Parliament for the area and the Chiefs and people, are among my contributions of selfless service to the electoral area”, he added.
He called for support to extend and expand electricity coverage to other parts of the electoral area due to the increasing population and also called for the establishment of a Police Post in the area to help curtail crime in the area as a result of the increase in the population in the area.
The Immediate former Presiding Member of the Electoral Area stated that bringing unity, team work and professional coordination among Assembly Members, was part of his noble achievement during his tenure of service since April, 2018 before the Assembly was dissolved on October 7 this year.
