All hands must be on deck to pursue national goals - President Mills

Accra, Jan. 31, GNA - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana, at the weekend reminded Ghanaians that the pursuit of the national goals require "all hands to be on deck." He said having completed the elections, Ghanaians must put behind them the past and strive on to face the numerous challenges that confronted the nation in the midst of the global economic crisis.

President Mills said this in an address read for him at a national prayer and thanksgiving service organised by the Garrison Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church at Burma Camp in Accra under the theme: "Uniting Ghana through Christ." He mentioned the widespread moral decadence engulfing humanity, the debilitating suffering, hunger, and disease that was taking its toll on humanity on daily basis, and the display of callousness towards each other that was gradually eroding the care and affection that people owe to each other as some of the challenges.

President Mills said Ghana "is not an island isolated from these disturbing global trends," and therefore asked Ghanaians to keep calling upon God to renew His Spirit among Ghanaians. "If we close our ranks and unite our strengths in meeting these challenges, our God will never fail us. He who has brought us this far, is waiting for us to come to Him in the spirit of unity, humanity, purposefulness, honesty, hard work, and He will grant us our needs," he said.

While exhorting Ghanaians to unite in building together a better Ghana, Prof Mills promised that his government would explore more ways of strengthening public-private participation in developing the nation. "We will provide more avenues of enabling churches and other Non-governmental organizations to complement government's efforts in meeting the needs of our people," he assured. President Mills stated that the National Democratic Congress government was in power to simply serve the people adding, "by the grace of God, we will do our best to provide our people the opportunity to experience personal growth and in the process empower each Ghanaian to enjoy living in and serving his or her country." He expressed the hope that Ghanaians would continue to trust God and said "we will rely on God for His guidance because a nation that gives God His rightful place in its affairs is assured of God's blessings."

The President lauded the SDA Church for its unique contributions to the development of education at all levels, and especially its pioneering role in the development of private tertiary education. In addition, he commended the church's Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for contributing to government's efforts at improving the lives of rural dwellers. President Mills said ADRA has been an active and major partner in the implementation of the United States sponsored Millennium Development Projects in the Afram Plains.

On the thanksgiving service, President Mills recalled the numerous prayers of intercession that characterized the period before and after the December 2008 Elections, and noted that God faithfully granted the request of the nation when the people called on Him. As a result, he added the service was in appreciation to God saying "we should thank Him for granting our petitions." Earlier in a Sermon, Pastor Samuel Adama Larmie, President of the Ghana Union Conference of the SDA Church, asked Ghanaians burry their political differences so as to break down the "walls of partition" that divide them. He said they should be united rather to forge ahead and build a united nation.

Pastor Larmie reminded Ghanaians that their goal was to ensure that the nation became economically sound, socially good, technologically advanced and politically mature. In a welcoming speech, Pastor Ambrose Waahu, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Union Conference of SDA, said Ghana could only be united through Christ, because in Him we are one people bound by His Precious Blood. Special prayers were said for peace and prosperity for the Nation.