Women gather at state house to give thanks

Accra, March 17, GNA- Mrs. Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, Member of the Council of State on Saturday led thousands of women in a non-denominational prayer and thanksgiving service at the forecourts of the State House.

The service, mainly attended by members of the Women Aglow Ministry from all over the ten regions of Ghana was in appreciation to God for a successful jubilee celebration and also to ask God to continue to bless and protect all the people of the land throughout the rest of the year and in the coming.

Mrs. Affenyi-Dadzie, who is also the National Prayer Director of the Aglow Ministry, entreated all women to continue to pray to God for him to appoint the next President for Ghana in the upcoming 2008 general elections.

"Whilst we may be looking out for a Presidential Candidate who is ruddy and handsome, God could help us find someone with the right policies, principles and approach to lead Ghana to become the state that he desires it to be," she told the congregation, amidst shouted and the raising of miniatures national flags in agreement. Some members laid prostate on the floor in reverence to the Lord Almighty. Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries urged the women to cultivate the habit of nurturing their children, especially the females to dress modestly, adding, "it is a mother's duty to ensure that her child is dressed modestly for every occasion".

"If we continue to allow are daughters to go about half naked, what would happen to their children since they would be required to teach them? They may end up being totally naked," she said Mrs Asmah urged all women to help raise the standard of morality in the nation.

She also urged the to pray to God to give the nation rains so that the Volta Dam could be filled for the production of electricity at full capacity, so that all industries would operate at full capacity for employment generation for the youth. Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State, appealed to the women to ensure that all children of school-going age were in school, adding, "It is our duty to ensure that our children, the children of our relations and friends were all in school between the ages of four and 16, to reduce the illiteracy rate in Ghana.

Mama Dorothy Danso, Aglow National President said like Dr Kwame Nkrumah who stated that, "the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of Africa," likewise, Aglow women needed to affirm that their salvation was meaningless unless it was linked with total liberation of all women. She urged the women to show love to one another, especially by helping people who were less privileged.

"Our vocational school complex is still under construction and I encourage you to be led and solicit for funds to come to our aid to make our vision of helping the 'Kaya yo' and less privileged girls acquire skill and give them economic empowerment become a reality," she said. Mama Danso thanked the over 10,000 women throughout the country who gathered on a monthly basis to intercede on behalf of the nation. "Your labour indeed have not been in vain but yielded good results, because we have already started to experience some of the blessings of Jubilee," she added. 17 March 07