By Dennis Peprah
Jama (S/R), Sept. 07, GNA – Mr. Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), the managers of the Bui Power Generating Station has launched the phase two of the BPA Talent Development Programme.
Last year, the Authority entered a three-year partnership with the Accra-based John Paintsil Football Academy to organise football competition among the 16 communities around the dam’s enclave.
Under the agreement, the Academy, founded by John Paintsil, a former key player of the national team, the Black Stars, scouts, select and groom footballing talents in the area.
At the Academy, the talents are exposed to professional training programmes and routines in preparation for the numerous opportunities ahead of them in the world of football.
Speaking at a ceremony held at Jama in the Bambio District of the Savannah Region, Mr Dzamesi explained last year five selected footballers were enrolled in the academy, saying they had conducted themselves creditably and demonstrated their abilities to compete at a high level when given the opportunity.
“Most notably, Collins Adoesom of Carpenter has turned heads anytime he steps on a pitch, leading him to be adjudged the Player of the Tournament of the just ended Ga East Third Division Middle League”, he stated.
Although BPA’s principal focus is power generation for the benefit of the entire nation, Mr Dzamesi said “we do not take our Corporate Social Responsibilities lightly, especially within the Bui enclave”.
The BPA Talent Development Programme, just like the BPA Livelihood Enhancement Programme (two) which has created many jobs, the Bui Sugar Factory that is providing over 500 jobs with a projection to create over 1000 jobs next year when it begins full operations.
More so, the establishment of a Cashew Processing Plant, granting of scholarships to promising individuals from our resettlement communities, the provision of clean drinking water through mechanized boreholes, and the construction of vital infrastructure such as the District Health Directorate for Banda District Assembly and a six-classroom block at Jama-Newtown among others.
These, he added, were the ways the Authority sought to uplift, empower and develop our communities, saying the BPA further crystallizes its investment in the future of spotting talents within the dam’s enclave through the construction of a world-class Astroturf football
facility.
“Our gathering here today is a testament of our continuous resolve and commitment to advance the course of development of communities within and around the Bui Generating Station”, he said and implored the people “to spread the word about these transformative projects and
interventions that stand as testimony to Bui Power Authority’s dedication to the well-being and progress of our communities”.
He expressed gratitude to the academy for the professional way it had conducted its affairs and cited the commitment in recording successes in the football realm of the BPA Talent Development Programme.
Mr. Dzamesi hoped the partnership would continue to give birth to more stars “who would one day represent the country at the highest level and put smiles not just on the faces of their immediate families but communities within and around the dam’s enclave”.
Mr Paintsil, the Chief Executive Officer of the Academy, stressed the academy’s commitment to groom the players in a more responsive and disciplinary manner.
“With the academy we will get the next crop of footballers who will feature in the country’s national teams, and push the nation’s standard of football to the next level”, he said and advised the boys to be disciplined.
In the first year of the programme, Mr Paintsil explained 200 talented footballs were selected, screened and finally arrived at the five players who were pursuing the football career at the academy, saying one of them was expected to feature in the Under 17 national team in
2025.
He said hard work, tolerance, respect and general discipline as well as the spirit of unity and team work paid a lot in football, and assured the academy’s support to the boys to go higher in their footballing career.
Nnaa Professor Lanjagor Korley II, the Paramount Chief of Jama stated the “BPA is doing fantastic job here” and entreated the boys to persevere to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
“You must not underrate yourselves wherever you find yourselves and try as much as possible to believe in yourselves”, he advised the boys.
GNA