Mr Daniel Kwaku Botwe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, has been honoured by the Okere District Education Directorate for his significant contributions towards education in the area. At an Okere District Teachers awards ceremony, the MP was recognised with a citation detailing his contribution towards the upliftment of educational standards in the area for the past 16 years. Part of the Citation read: 'Your selfless dedication to public service and tireless efforts to represent the interest of your constituents are truly commendable, your commitment to educational policies and issues have made a significant impact on our learners, teachers and communities beyond.' Presenting the citation, Ms Agnes Abban, Okere district director of education, mentioned that Mr Botwe's passion towards progressive infrastructural development in the education sector put the district on the highest pedestal in terms of construction of teacher's bungalows and classrooms, most especially in the hard-to-reach communities. For the past 16 years, Mr Dan Botwe had endeared himself to improving educational infrastructure in Okere and had instituted several innovations including a special extra class with boarding for all Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates numbering more than 800 each year in the district to improve the BECE results and performance. He had also advocated for a 'Teachers Community Concept' where every village or town would have several teachers' accommodations, forming a community to further boost the values of education. Amongst the objectives of initiating the Teachers' community concept was to reduce teacher absenteeism and lateness due to the long kilometres teachers in the hard-to-reach areas had to trek to school for lack of accommodation and to inculcate discipline into children in the communities. So far about 12 towns and communities in Okere have benefited from this concept of providing at least six units of teachers' accommodation, a significant development which had impacted heavily on educational outcomes in the district. Owoabrempon Awo Abena Korama, queen mother of Adukrom and Akuapem Nifahemea, on her part, praised the MP for the giant strides made not only in education but in all aspects of development in Okere. 'You have not only improved education but every aspect of life in Okere, your integrity and dedication in public service is worthy of emulation and we are so much proud of you,' she added. She said the MP had dutifully endeared himself to the development of the people of Okere and so much deserved the applause and citation and thanked the education directorate for taking the initiative to recognise him. Receiving the citation, Mr Botwe expressed gratitude to God who enabled him to serve his people to the best of his ability, to his father who inculcated the values of service to humanity with integrity and the support of the traditional and religious authorities in Okere. He assured the people that even though he was bowing out of parliament come Dece mber 7, he would still offer his experience and support to the development of education and health in the area. Source: Ghana News Agency