Bekwai (Ash), Feb. 13, GNA - An Anglican priest has called on all ethnic groups in the country to unite to promote A better Ghana in the years ahead.

Venerable John Kingsley Mensah, Archdeacon of the Bekwai Archdeaconry of the Anglican Church, who made the call, stressed that, "Once the 2004 general elections are over, it is important for Ghanaians to unite to enhance peace in the country.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service and the induction of new officers of the women's fellowship of the church at Bekwai, Venerable Mensah gave praises to God for the country's peaceful election. The Anglican priest stressed the need for Ghanaians to cultivate the spirit of forgiveness and forgetfulness to help push the nation forward.

He criticised the way the youth dress these days and urged the women's fellowship to help check the practice. Venerable Mensah appealed to the Fellowship to mount a crusade against the rate at which as he put it, "the youth are learning to become insane" through drug addiction and other undesirable practices. Venerable Mensah, who is the parish priest of the Bekwai Saint Francis Anglican Church, urged the women to ensure that their children attended school.

Touching on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, he advised Christians to help check its spread by advocating moral values in the society since uncontrolled sex was the major cause of the disease. Mrs Frances Georgina Assiamah, re-elected President of the Women's Fellowship, said the challenges facing Christianity today were numerous and added that the focus of the Fellowship was to change Christians' attitude and love for material things instead of God. "Materialism is taking the best part of most Christians these days", she emphasised, adding, "the way people love and participate in social activities like funerals is more than the way we show commitment to our Lord".