The Birim North District Director of Education, Mr George Diko has called on religious bodies to rehabilitate their dilapidated school buildings in the communities to ensure effective teaching and learning in basic schools. He said most of the school buildings built by the churches in the past had been neglected to deteriorate while resources were used to renovate chapels, mosques and mission houses annually. Mr Diko made the call at the inauguration of a six classroom block, office, store and a kindergarten renovated by the management of Newmont Akyem Projects Limited, a mining company at New Abirem. He urged stakeholders in education to support children in their educational endeavours to become responsible citizens in the communities in future. Mr Diko commended management of Newmont for their co-operation and support to provide facilities to enhance quality education in the district. Mr Robin Budden, General Manager of Environmental and Social Responsibility of Newmont Akyem Project, said the company was committed to work as partners and collaborate with the communities to enhance socio-economic development. Mr Budden said the school project was the third in the area since 2005 and pledged the company’s commitment to work with other communities to establish computer schools, construct teachers’ quarters and a model Senior Secondary School in the district. Mr Emmanuel Nana Acquah Frimpong, Birim North District Chief Executive, urged the communities to unite and cooperate with the management to benefit from development projects to enhance their living standards. He advised parents to take active interest in their children’s education and provide their educational needs to supplement government’s efforts. Nana Kwesi Amo Kyeretwie, III, Chief of New Abirem, said in addition to communal labour, the community contributed 82 million cedis towards the projects and appealed for extension of electricity to the school. He appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minerals Commission to expedite action to grant mining license to the company to begin operations to enable the chiefs mobilise revenue from royalties to undertake development projects. Source GNA