Kumasi, Jan 12, GNA- Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Highways, has called on Muslims to register in their numbers when the voters' register is opened so that they could exercise their franchise in this year's general elections.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 42nd Annual National Conference of the Islamic Mission Secretariat in Kumasi on Sunday, Dr Anane asked the Muslims to live in unity and love with their neighbours. The three-day conference that was attended by over 1,500 delegates from Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Western, Central and Eastern regions was on the theme, "Islam, Peace and Development."
"Help sustain the peace in the country by living together harmoniously with other members in the communities to bring about the needed peace and development," the Minister said. Dr Anane said electricity, water and roads play a crucial role in human development but stressed that education is also very important for societal development and asked that they invest in the education of their children.
Alhaji Ahmed Akwasi Yeboah, Kwabre District Chief Executive, explained the government's National Health Insurance Scheme to the delegates and urged them to carry the message to other members to identify themselves with the programme so that they benefited from it. He said politics is not a bad concept and, therefore, not condemned by God and asked them to participate actively in the political development of the country by helping to elect good leaders. In a speech read on his behalf, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia V, Bantamahene, advised Muslims to avail themselves of the education programmes on HIV/AIDS.
Alhaji Yakubu Manu, National Chairman of the Secretariat, asked members to refrain from negative activities that militate against the development of the country.
Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah, General Secretary of the Islamic Mission Secretariat, said in recent times, crime had been associated with the Muslim religion and called on members to help to erase this impression from the society.
He called on members to help the Secretariat to move the organisation forward by providing more funds to support its programmes.
