The Gomoa West District Chief Executive, Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah has commended Ghanaians for being peace loving.
He said peace loving initiatives of Ghanaians had sustained the country for all these years while other countries in the sub-region had problems with peace.
The DCE said in an address read at the 56th Independence anniversary parade at Apam.
He said the peaceful manner the 2012 election was conducted and the peaceful manner the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were contesting the presidential results in court, demonstrated that Ghanaians were peace loving, matured and ready to move the country forward towards the reduction of poverty and illiteracy.
Mr Aidoo-Mensah urged Ghanaians to do away with partisanship and unite for national development.
He said the aspirations of the forefathers to build a country that would be the star of Africa, economic prosperity, freedom and justice as its corner-stone would elude us if we do not put aside partisanship and unite as one people with a common destiny.
“We should therefore combine our efforts, energies and expertise towards introducing new things, new ideas and new ways of doing things to develop the country,” he said.
Mr Aidoo-Mensah urged teachers to behave to serve as good role models for pupils and students.
“You should endeavour to create conducive atmosphere in your schools to motivate and encourage pupils to learn and develop their God given talents,” he said.
Education, he said, must be aimed at shaping the lives of the young ones irrespective of their cultural diversity to enable them to co-exist with their neighbours in peace and harmony to promote social cohesion.
Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the Assembly had constructed 65 educational projects across the district since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came to power in 2009.
They included classroom blocks, kindergartens, teachers’ quarters, dormitories, ICT/teachers’ resource centres.
He said 5,460 mono and dual desks and teachers tables and chairs had been provided in collaboration with the Member of Parliament and the GETFund Secretariat for schools in the district.
He said 9,206 free school uniforms and over 20,000 free exercise books had also been distributed.
The DCE said the assembly in collaboration with CAMFED was sponsoring over 440 needy girls in both Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools as means to promote girl-child education.
Madam Florence Inkoom, Gomoa West District Director of Education, said the government acknowledged education as key to poverty reduction, good health, food security and others.
She commended the DCE through whose efforts schools under trees had been eliminated in the district.
“I can say for sure that there are no schools under trees in Gomoa West District,” the Director stated.
Madam Inkoom expressed concern about the high incidence of teenage pregnancies in the district and appealed to stakeholders to help turn the tide.
She urged school children to take their studies seriously, saying “if you want to be leaders of tomorrow then you have to start it from today.”