LOC seeks support from religious bodies

Accra, Feb 07, GNA - The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of GHANA CAN 2008 has officially notified the religious bodies for their collaboration and support to make next year's African Cup of Nations a success.

The support of the religious bodies is expected to bring prosperity, development, peace, unity as well as glory to the nation as they host the event.

Magnus Rex Danquah, Chief Operating Officer of the LOC, who disclosed this in a statement copied to the GNA Sports said that the notification forms part of the efforts of the LOC to make the GHANA 2008 championships different from previous competitions. The Chief Operating Officer acknowledged his outfit's inability to accomplish the desired goals, hence the call for the needed support and collaboration to ensure that the nation succeeds through effective sports organisation.

"This would open a whole new vista of opportunities to enable Ghanaians hold their own within the comity of nations." Danquah said that the nation has positioned herself this time around the tournament to raise the event above the fun and entertainment usually associated with the sport to make it more development-oriented. "The LOC has contacted Government departments and agencies as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), Mosques and Churches to help fight illiteracy, poverty, squalor and diseases such as malaria and other killer diseases."

He explained that the call to all stakeholders was basically centred on the need to rid the cities and environs of filth and crave for things that are virtuous, lovely and praiseworthy. Danquah finally appealed to the religious bodies to help present clean cities and towns, neat houses and buildings, and tidy streets for the about one million guests expected in the country for the championships.