Kwasi Bonzoh, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary Candidate for the Ellembelle constituency in the 2016 general elections has indicated that the revival of the collapsed Kwame Nkrumah Education Fund created to assist Nzema students, would be one of his priorities when voted for.

According to him, the Education Fund which was officially launched in year 2003 by the then President John Agyekum Kufour, was to help brilliant but needy students in the three Nzema constituencies – Ellembelle, Evalue – Gwira and Jomoro.

He regretted that most parents and guardians in the Nzema area are not able to help their children further their education because of financial constraints.

Addressing members of the Takoradi Polytechnic chapter of the National Association of Nzema Students (NANS), the NPP candidate, popularly called “Bonzo K” could not fathom why the policy should seize to operate.

He assured the students that the educational Fund would work again when he becomes the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle in 2017.

Later in an Interview, Bonzoh explained that he, together with his colleagues mooted the idea of creating the Kwame Nkrumah Education Fund in the year 2000, when they were in the University of Ghana.

He indicated that the idea was to be similar to the Otumfuo Education Fund in the Ashanti Region.

Bonzoh added that they later discussed the idea with the then Members of Parliament for the three Nzema constituencies including Freddie Blay, Ellembelle; Emmanuel Ackah, Jomoro and Edith Haizel, Evalue – Gwira.

“Later, the then President, John Kufour officially inaugurated the fund and an amount of one billion old cedis was raised as seed money. The seven Paramount chiefs of Nzema were also made Board members of the fund”, he noted.

He indicated that surprisingly, as time went on the initiative collapsed adding “but we ought to revive it”.

He mentioned that the mainstay of the Nzema people is coconut farming but however indicated that majority of the coconut plantations in the area had been destroyed by the Cape Saint Paul disease making it difficult for most parents to cater for their children’s education.

Kwesi Bonzoh noted that fortunately, the Nzema area is now blessed with lots of oil and gas as well as mining companies which are exploring the natural resources in the area.

“So we have to take advantage of the opportunity and tasked the companies to contribute towards the fund, after which we will grow or invest the money and use the proceeds to assist the brilliant but needy students as well as educational institutions in the area”, he emphasised.