Awutu Bawjiase (C/R), Dec 30, Madam Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu-Senya Constituency and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has called on the citizens of the area to make the place a preferred choice for investments.

“Without unity, the total development of the constituency cannot be achieved, hence the need to put aside our political affiliations in the interest of the growth of the area,” she said.

She noted that political differences should not divide Ghanaians since everyone could not belong to the same political party.

Madam Tetteh, who is currently the United Nations Special representative to African Union and head of United Nations Office to the African Union, made the call at the 4th graduation ceremony of I-Smile Community Help Programme at the Community Training Center at Awutu Bawjiase

She is also Patron of the Centre.

A total of nine people, made up of seven females and two males from Cape Coast, Adeiso in Eastern Region, Agona East and Awutu-Senya East, were trained under a three-year sewing apprenticeship at the centre to be on their own and be role models for their peers.

Madam Tetteh commended the chief executive officer of the centre, coordinators and the supervisors for their hard work and commitment as volunteers.

“I will always get in touch with you to provide the needed training tools and equipment to expand the centre to train more people to also learn some vocational skills to be independent,” she assured.

She expressed the hope that the graduates would utilize the skills acquired during the three years to earn a living so that the investment made on them will not go waste.

Mrs Gizella Agbotui Tetteh, MP-elect for Awutu-Senya Constituency, in the just ended parliamentary election, thanked the people of Awutu-Senya for giving her their mandate to represent them in Parliament.

She commended Madam Tetteh for working to ease the plight of the youth, adding that as the MP-elect, she would continue to support the programme.

Mrs Agbotui encouraged the graduates to concentrate on their business, be committed, time conscious and provide neat work to attract more customers to patronize their services.

Mr Ismaila Abdulai Andoh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the programme, said equipping school dropouts with vocational skills was their contribution to the development of the country’s human resource capacity.

The CEO said since the establishment of the programme in 2013, the centre has trained and graduated 50 students in dressmaking with 58 apprentices still in school.

He appealed to the Chiefs of the area to support the Centre with a parcel of land to build a new training centre to accommodate more students.

Later, Madam Tetteh joined Mrs Agbotui to present start-up kits (sewing machines with their accessories), certificates and testimonial to the graduates.