Mamfe, Jan. 9, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills, has said government was committed to investing in human development since it was the pillar on which the nation rested.
He said government's main focus would be to provide quality education for the youth to enable them to contribute effectively to building a strong and united country.
President Mills was speaking at a durbar of chiefs and people of Mamfe to climax their annual Ohum festival on Saturday.
He said government's commitment to education was manifested in the increase in the Capital Grant, supply of free uniforms to school children and expansion of the School Feeding Programme among other interventions.
President Mills said government would see to the health needs of the people by ensuring that the National Health Insurance Scheme became successful to enable Ghanaians, especially the poor to have access to quality health care.
He said government would this year embark on Youth in Agriculture Project and appealed to chiefs to release land for the implementation of the programme.
President Mills observed that all those lofty ideas would not succeed if the youth were undisciplined and asked parents to give moral training to their children.
He expressed worry that the youth were emanating foreign culture blindly and said the nation could only progress when "we exhibit discipline and honesty".
President Mills commended the chiefs for promoting peace in the area, which he said was a prerequisite for development.
Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III, Mamfehene, said the chiefs considered education as the foundation for development and "we shall leave no stone unturned in our efforts to provide our youth with good education".
He said that the chiefs have liaised with students form Akuafo Hall, University of Ghana, to provide free tuition for students in area to augment the efforts of teachers.
The chief commended government for distributing school uniform free of charge to school children and expanding the School Feeding Programme.
Osabarima Sasraku said efforts were being made by the chiefs to produce morally upright and hardworking youth.
These included the banning of basic school children from loitering after 2000 hours, funeral ceremonies were required to end by 1700 hours, drinking spots were not allowed to open before 0800 hours and were required to close at 2200 hours.
The Mamfehene called on the people to avoid handling of naked light carelessly, setting fire to hunt for game, using fire to extract honey among others at this time of the harmattarn season, to prevent bush fires.
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