Nigerian Cardinal calls on President Kufuor

Accra, Nov. 21, GNA - His Eminence Cardinal Anthony Okogie of Nigeria, Papal Legate, on Monday called for the strengthening of Church-State relationship to help to speed up the development of society.

He said there should not be any reason for rivalry between the two as both shared the concern for the welfare and progress of the people. They, therefore, needed to collaborate.

Cardinal Okogie said this when he paid a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

He was in the country to attend the recently held Ghanaian Catholic Bishops Conference in Kumasi.

The Papal Legate lauded President Kufuor for the bold economic policies of his Government and expressed the hope that the correctness of the policies would soon be vindicated.

He specifically touched on the Government's efforts at fighting poverty; reviving agriculture and improving on the roads network as well as its position on handing over schools to the churches and said they were worthy of commendation.

He pointed out that education was not just simply about reading and writing but went deeper than that as it involved moral training, adding that, this was where the missions' role was critical.

Cardinal Okogie also conveyed special greetings from the Pope to President Kufuor, who he described as "a practising Catholic, who does not hide his faith" and assured him of continued prayers from the Pontiff for God's guidance.

President Kufuor re-affirmed the commitment of his administration to do everything to better the lot of society and said this had been the driving force behind its policies.

He, however, noted that the demands were such that, it was far and above the capacity of any single individual or group to do it alone. President Kufuor said it was for this reason that the church should continue not only to support it materially but with prayers. He said the Government was not averse to the participation of the churches in the country's educational system since as he put it; "they come in with special attribute of moral teaching" adding that ethical and moral teachings produced quality humans.