The Saboba District Assembly in the Northern region is reconsidering sponsorship packages for students in tertiary and professional training institutions, particularly teachers and nurses.

This is in response to the growing abuse of the sponsorship package as many of the beneficiaries have refused to accept posting to serve in the district upon completion of their courses.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Adolf John Ali, who made this known, said the assembly was being compelled to deny some teacher-trainees and student nurses sponsorship because it could not guarantee that they would serve in the district upon completion.

"Currently, close to 200 students are enjoying various forms of sponsorship packages in relation to their training. However, it is clear that the assembly can no longercontain the growing number of
students seeking financial support from its coffers, since the package is being grossly abused," he stated.

Mr. Ali was addressing a durbar to commemorate the elevation of the Saboba evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Senior High School to a boarding status.

He said even though the number of teacher trainees and other students who applied for sponsorship had increased over the years, many of those who benefited from it to honour theor side of the contract.

Mr Ali stated that the assembly was even more constrained in trying to support the training of teachers and other professionals because its internally generated funds were woefully inadequate to cater for such sponsorship packages.

According to the DCE, the refusal of newly trained teachers to accept posting to the district had affected the delivery of quality education in the district,especially for the girl-child, adding that the situation painted a gloomy future for the youth in the district.

He admitted that teachers and nurses usually refussed posting to th district because of the dificult living conditions, but indicated that the districthad instituted some incentive packages to enhance their stay in the district.

Mr Ali mentioned some of the packages as provision of residential accommodation and means of transport.

He, therefore, appealed to the Ghana Education Service and their respective ministries to support the disadvantaged districts by assisting them to provide more attractive packages for teachers and nurses to encourage them to serve in the rural, deprived areas.

Daily Graphic/DS