Apam (C/R), March 7, GNA - Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive (DCE), has called on Ghanaians not to regard the "Better Ghana Agenda", as a programme for the ruling National Democratic Congress alone.

Addressing a parade of school children at Apam to mark the 54th anniversary of Ghana Independence, Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the Better Ghana Agenda was a policy to improve the living conditions of the citizenry.

The theme for the anniversary was: "Discipline and Hard Work, Essential Pre-requisite for A better Ghana." The DCE said the theme was relevant as Ghana could not talk about development without discipline and hard work.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah, who is also the President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana, urged Ghanaians sitting on the fence to get involve in the development efforts. He expressed dissatisfaction that partisan politics was derailing the nation's development agenda.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah said some people refuse to participate in development programmes because it was not their party in power that initiated it or sought to deny a rival political party from taking credit for projects. He asked Ghanaians to discard such negative attitude.

The DCE said Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, which were behind Ghana at the time of independence were now far ahead of the country because they made discipline and hard work part of their value system. He called on Ghanaians to work hard and be disciplined to enable the Better Ghana Agenda achieve its goals earlier than expected.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the assembly would rehabilitate the Community Information Centre at Apam and also construct ICT teachers' resource centre. He said the Assembly had completed a library project which was initiated by Mr Joe Hackman, the former Member of Parliament for the area. The DCE said the assembly had spent GH¢15,620.00 on award of scholarship for needy students.

Mrs Augusta Akyaa Sarpong, District Director of Education called on the school children to be disciplined and to learn hard to become useful future leaders. She said indiscipline retarded progress in every field of endeavour. Mrs Sarpong said Ghana could have developed faster but for the "pull-him or her down" attitude.