Thumbs Up To Government's Cic Project But.......... | Ghana Official Portal

Feature By _ Peter Atogewe Wedam
Journalist with the Information Services Dept

No one, especially among the literate folks in Ghana today can deny the fact that Information and Communication Technology, ICT has become part and parcel of daily transactions between individuals, orgnisations, ministries, departments, agencies and even between nations.

This writer like many other Ghanaians was therefore extremely happy when in 2003, the government of Ghana finalised deliberations on a comprehensive ICT policy for the country. The policy was first started by the erstwhile NDC regime as I learnt from an article written by Mawutodzi K. Abissath of the IT unit of the Information Services Department.

The ICT policy which was spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications sought to extend communication services including telephoning, fax and internet connectivity to our colleague citizens in the very rural portions of the country.

This is to be done through the building and furnishing of Community Information Centres, (CICs) in all districts in the country. The CICs, to be managed and operated jointly by the Communications Ministry and the Ministry of Information and National Orientation will also provide skills training in ICT to rural dwellers.

It is worthy of note that as at now, some districts have started enjoying the benefits of the CICs and government must be given a bravo salute for this feat. But the CIC project should have given and indeed, must give priority to distant and relatively underdeveloped communities and districts such as the East Mamprusi and Bunkprugu-Yunyoo districts in the Northern region.

Also, newly created districts like the Kassena-Nankana West district in the Upper East region and the Chereponi district in the Northern region must be given optimum attention when it comes to allocation of these CICs.

The reason is that, in the most developed districts and urban areas, there already exist a whole lot of internet cafes that provide a variety of communication services to citizens whom, unlike the rural folk can afford to use them [the cafes].

I have no doubts in my mind that, the CICs will offer comparatively lower service charges to users than the private internet café operators. Going by this therefore, the CICs project by government will positively impact on efforts to disseminate policies and programmes of government to rural citizens via ICT.

What this author will conclude his article with is that, all Non-Governmental Organisations and philanthropists should assist government both in cash and in kind so as to completely move the CICs project from the drawing board to the ground in order for its good intensions to be realized throughout our beloved country.

NB: also published on the Ghana Government portal www.ghana.gov.gh on 04/07/08

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