Govt is committed to peaceful elections - Regional Minister

Nsawam (E/R), Sept. 4, GNA - The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah has said the Government was committed to its promise of free and fair elections and would do everything within its power to maintain the peace that the country was enjoying.

"We all have a duty to make sure that our words and deeds should not bring division and confusion. Remember that Ghana is for all of us", he observed.

This was contained in a speech read on his behalf at the official opening of the 9th Diocesan Youth Conference of the Anglican Diocese of Koforidua at Nsawam on Friday.

The four-day conference, which is being attended by 350 youth of the Church, has the theme: "The Youth, an Asset to Church and Nation." Dr Osafo-Mensah observed that "if knowledge is power and holds the key to development," then the state in which developing countries found themselves could be attributed to the low level of education of their citizenry.

He, therefore, called on the youth to read widely to acquire the knowledge and skill that they could use to help transform the country into a better place in the future.

Rev. Father Paul Marfo, the Diocesan Youth Director of the Church, called on the Church and the country not to lose sight of the fact that the youth were the future leaders and needed to be trained and encouraged to acquire Christian and societal values. He called for the creation of opportunities for the youth to participate in both church and national development efforts. The Director of the Diocesan Ministerial Education Centre, Venerable Felix Annancy reminded the youth that if they were to be regarded as assets to the Church and the nation, then they needed to acquire certain positive qualities.

Earlier in his welcoming address, the Diocesan Youth President, Mr Mark Ofosu Kumagloe called for the protection of the Ghanaian youth from the menace of pornography.

He called on the youth to use whatever gift God had given them to work towards the progress of the church and society.