The Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, has urged residents to embrace development projects regardless of the political party or individual responsible for initiating them.
He made the call at Ekon, a fishing community in the Cape Coast South constituency, where he commissioned the Ekon Community Library – the first public library facility in the constituency.
The facility is expected to improve access to books, learning materials and after-school academic support for children in Ekon and surrounding coastal communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Ricketts-Hagan described the library as more than a conventional reading facility.
He said it would serve as a community learning centre where children could study, conduct research, explore digital resources and develop their literacy skills.
“This facility is more than just a library; it is a building like a crèche. Our children will attend after school, and teachers will be stationed here to improve their learning,” he said.
The MP said the facility had been equipped with the necessary books and learning materials to support the educational needs of children in the community.
He encouraged parents to ensure that their children patronised the library regularly, describing it as a place that would contribute to their academic development and personal growth.
Ricketts-Hagan said the library would also provide children with an opportunity to cultivate reading habits and access learning resources that might otherwise be unavailable to them in the community.
The Deputy Majority Leader’s appeal centred on the need for residents to separate development from partisan politics.
He expressed concern over suggestions that some residents might refuse to allow their children to use the library because it was initiated by an NDC Member of Parliament, while they supported the New Patriotic Party or the Convention People’s Party.
He urged parents and guardians not to allow political differences to prevent their children from benefiting from the facility.
“As your MP, my work is to bring development to the community. So, if i lobby to bring development and you refuse to use it, it does not sound well,” he stated.
According to him, public facilities are intended to serve the entire community and should not be viewed as the property of a particular political party.
He therefore called on residents of Ekon and the wider Cape Coast South Constituency to take ownership of the library and ensure that it achieved its intended purpose.
Ricketts-Hagan disclosed that the library project was funded by him as part of a campaign promise made during the elections.
He said his decision to establish the facility was informed by the need to improve educational opportunities for children living in coastal communities, where access to public learning facilities remains limited.
The project is expected to benefit children in Ekon and nearby communities by providing them with a suitable environment for reading, research and supervised after-school learning.
The commissioning ceremony brought together the Municipal Chief Executive, traditional leaders, education officials, representatives of the Ghana Library Authority and residents.
The Chief of Ekon, Nana Kwame Edu Ababio II, commended the Member of Parliament for donating the library to the community.
He, however, appealed to the Municipal Assembly to provide adequate security for the facility and its equipment.
Nana Ababio expressed concern that the books, computers and other learning materials could be stolen if proper security arrangements were not made.
He called for collaboration among the Municipal Assembly, traditional authorities and community members to protect the facility and ensure that it remained available to children for many years.
The chief also urged residents to treat the library as a community asset and to support efforts aimed at maintaining it.
The leader of the Ekon Mothers’ Association, Auntie Araba Awotee, expressed gratitude for the establishment of the library.
She said the facility would give children in the community an opportunity to experience the benefits of a public library for the first time.
According to her, the project had generated excitement among parents because it would provide children with a safe and productive place to study after school.
She offered prayers and blessings for the long life and continued success of the Member of Parliament.
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