The youth of Koforidua Zongo want the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development to prioritize education in the Zongo community to help develop the human resource available to be well equipped with skills and knowledge to fight against poverty.
According to the Youth, even though infrastructural development is important and needed in the Zongo community, huge investment in education would go a long way to reduce poverty among residents in the Zongos.
According to the Secretary of Koforidua Zongo Housa Youth group, Mohammed Ibrahim, education level in the Zongo community is very low due to inability of many families to sponsor their children education therefore wants Education Fund instituted in Koforidua Zongo to provide scholarship for brilliant, but needy students.
“There was this Zongo Education Fund instituted by our Elders but unfortunately it has collapsed but we want it back because if you have education you can think for yourself. It will help the upcoming ones to benefit. In the Zongos there are so many qualified persons to attend secondary and Tertiary education but they are needy, they couldn’t continue so this is a fundamental need that we want the Zongo ministry to prioritize than infrastructural development,” Ibrahim said.
The youth also appealed to the Minister of Inner Cities and Zongo Development to ensure participatory planning and decision making by involving leaders of the Zongo communities, especially the Zongo Chiefs.
The Youth said this during the commissioning of a newly built Zongo palace and installation of the Managing Director of Antarctic Construction company limited, Mr. Joseph Kwasi Okyere popularly known as Mr. Antartic as the Head of the Zongo Community.
The traditional position, Head of Zongo, is the highest and well respected position given to a none-Muslim and none-Resident of Zongo community premise on contribution to the development and wellbeing of Zongo.
Mr. Okyere called on Ghanaians to continue to live in harmony, despite ethnic or religious differences.
