from MASAHUDU KUNATEH in Accra, Ghana
ACCRA, (CAJ News)  - GHANAIAN President John Dramani Mahama has announced educational and research institutions across the country will from early next year benefit from the supply of 400,000 laptops to facilitate teaching, learning, innovations and research.

The initiative forms part the next phase of government’s computerization programme intended to promote growth driven by Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Mahama said the rollout follows a successful implementation of both the basic school computerisation project and the better Ghana Laptop project under which a total of 160,000  laptops were distributed free-of-charge to schools, institutions and individuals to enhance teaching and learning of ICT.

Mahama was speaking at a ceremony in Accra to distribute laptops to individuals and institutions.

The occasion was the graduation of 2,500 Persons With Disability (PWD) who underwent 6-months in ICT at the Rlg Institute of Technology, a subsidiary of Rlg Communications, Ghana’s indigenous ICT firm.

The participants received set of tools provided by government to help them set-up their own businesses.

Mahama said government will continue to place emphasis on education in general and ICT in particular.

Touching on government policy on education, President Mahama said while making efforts to expand access, greater attention will be given to quality.

“Government is compelled to comply with the constitutional mandate enjoining us to make education not only of the highest quality but progressively free”, he said.

He condemned the continuous practice where persons with disability are scorned and looked-down upon and government will do its best to reaffirm the position that disability cannot be equated to inability.

The Executive Secretary of the National Council of Persons with Disability, Max Vardon said the disability fraternity is very much appreciative of government’s interventions to ensure restoration of dignity of persons with all sorts of disabilities.

He however appealed for increased financial support towards the efficient running of the council.

The Chief Executive of Rlg Communications, Roland Agambire announced that Rlg will offer permanent jobs to 2,500 beneficiaries of the PWD ICT Project as part of its plans to create jobs for 1 million people within the next five years.

He expressed the hope beneficiaries will put the skills acquired to good use.