Berekum (B/R), Nov. 16, GNA – Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, has lauded ATC Ghana Limited for establishing ICT learning centres across Ghana through its Digital ICT Learning Centres.
He said the ATC Digital ICT Learning Centres, would go a long way to serve as centres for the promotion of ICT education in schools and in communities across the country.
Dr Ashigbey was speaking at the launch of the ATC Digital ICT Learning Centres at the Jamdede Adom Basic School in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region.
The Jamdede Digital Community Facility is the first of its kind to be set up by ATC Ghana within the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.
American Tower Corporation, ATC Ghana’s parent company, is a leading owner and operator of communications sites for the wireless and broadcast industries.
At the commissioning of the Jamdede Facility, visibly elated pupils from various basic schools within the Berekum West District showed their joy by dancing to the tune of both traditional and high life music.
Dr Ashigbey said the importance of ICT could not be overemphasized, saying, “and definitely it is a fact that if we are going to bridge the gap that is between us and the developed world, then we will have to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, and so, it is really important that we take ICT as close as possible to our people”.
He said it was in the light of this that ATC Ghana, a member of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications had dedicated itself to providing the digital infrastructure to communities.
He said the ATC Digital ICT Learning Centres would ensure that the future leaders of Ghana got the advantage of using ICT.
“We are not just waiting for them to grow before they do it. We are not concentrating only on those in the regional capitals, but we are bringing it as far down as we can and definitely, we need to commend ATC Ghana for this laudable effort,” he said.
“Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is very important and at the base of that is technology and at the base of that is telecommunications; and now is being brought close to you.”
Dr Ashigbey urged the pupils to use ICT to find ways in which they could resolve the problems of society and to take their studies very seriously.
“……This is not the time to be concentrating on sakawa and fraud, but find ways that you can use it (ICT), leverage on this technology to solve the problems that are within your communities.”
Mr Yahaya Yunusa, CEO, ATC Ghana, in a speech read on his behalf, said ATC Ghana was proud to play a role in supporting the Government’s vision of an inclusive digital economy while encouraging the aspirations of the many brilliant young people across the length and breadth of this country.
He said in this regard, ATC Ghana was rolling out Digital Communities at four locations in 2021; namely Asuom in the Eastern, Berekum in the Bono, Bawku in the Upper East and Akontombra Western North Regions.
The Asuom Facility was unveiled last week.
Mr Yunusa said the four new Digital Communities would add up to the six facilities already operating at Jamasi, Savelugu, Tarkwa, Bawdua, Makola and Battor.
“At ATC Ghana, we believe that supporting education by leveraging on technology as part of our sustainability goals is the right thing to do and we take great pride in how our organization demonstrates its commitment to the communities where we operate,” he said.
Madam Letitia Asiedu-Attafuah, Head of Human Resources for ATC Tower Ghana, said the Company would continue to play some role in ensuring that underserved communities also benefited from state-of-the-art technology to improve lives and drive the digitalization agenda.
Mr Dominic Oppong, Berekum West District Chief Executive, thanked ATC Ghana for coming to their aid, noting that the Facility had come to take some burdens off the Assembly.
Mr David Owusu-Ansah, Berekum West District Education Director, said the Government had introduced ICT into the educational curriculum starting from upper primary in the new standard basic curriculum.
Nana Amankona Diawuo, the Acting Kontihene of Jamdede, who expressed gratitude to ATC Ghana for the facility, also appealed for the construction of a fence wall around the School to ward off intruders.
GNA