In order to the show appreciation to a leading international developer and operator of cellular telephone services in Ghana, Millicom International Cellular (MIC) S.A., the operators of Tigo, residents of Obeng Yaw Krom, a small town in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern; have named their children after ‘Tigo’.
Parents pick the day of the week, Monday [Kojo/Kwadwo/Adwoa], Tuesday [Kobina/ Kwabena/Abena], Wednesday [Kwaku/Kweku/Akua], Thursday [Yaw/Yao/] Friday [Kofi/Afia/Afua/Efia], Saturday [Ama/Kwame] and Sunday [Kwasi/Akwasi/Asi/Esi] in which the child would be born and then add Tigo to it.
So for now, some children have been given names such as ‘Yaw Tigo, Ama Tigo, Kwaku Tigo, Adwoa Tigo’, among others.
The community arrived at the decision led by the chief of the town after Tigo build six-classroom basic schools block for the town.
But children with these names are normally mocked by their colleagues in the town but there is nothing they could do.
Narrating the history behind the naming of their children after Tigo to Prime News Ghana at his Palace, the Chief of the town, Nana Obeng Yaw III, explained that the town used to have a dilapidated basic school structure which was posing danger to the children.
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}He said several efforts and appeals to the government, philanthropists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for assistance to either rehabilitation or building of a new school for the community proved futile.
He said several NGOs came to the town with the intention of helping to build or rehabilitate the school but after series of meetings with chiefs and elders, they went and never return to fulfil their promises.
Nana Obeng Yaw III explained that about four years ago, representatives of Millicom International Cellular, operators of Tigo, visited him at his Palace and made their intentions of constructing a new school for them known.
The Chief said Tigo requested for a land on which the school should be built on and the land was provided.
Nana Obeng Yaw III explained that within two months after the allocation of the plots of land, work commenced for the construction of a new basic school for the town.
He added that during the handing over of the school to the community, he told parents in the town to name their children after Tigo due to the generous contribution they have made to the town.
Nana Obeng Yaw III confirmed that, since then, some parents adhered to the directives and named their children after Tigo.