Ms Ophelia Koomson, the Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive, has said national unity has played a prominent role in having peaceful elections over the years and should be prioritised.

She said as the country gears towards another general election in December, the demonstration of national unity would come to the fore stressing, “We need national unity to have peace before, during and after Election 2012”.

Ms Koomson was addressing a parade of 1,200 school children, security personnel and members of voluntary organisations at Akyem Oda to mark Ghana’s 55th Independence Anniversary.

The occasion coincided with the Municipal Best Teacher Awards ceremony for 2009 to 2011 with 22 teachers and six non-teaching staff as beneficiaries.

He appealed to all to be ambassadors of national unity in their various communities, saying, “Our interaction with each other should emphasize national unity and the need to safeguard peace and democracy”.

Ms Koomson appealed to the security agencies to stand firm to ensure that nothing disrupts the democratic process put in place to ensure national unity and sustainable development.

Mr David Afram, the Municipal Director of Education, said it had become more important now than ever to invest in and motivate teachers who are the bedrock of teaching and learning as well as the drivers of quality education.

He appealed to individuals, organizations and corporate bodies to support the Municipal Assembly and the Education Directorate in cash and kind to organize Best Teacher Award ceremonies annually to motivate teachers to give of their best.

Mr Afram appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) staff to rise up to meet the challenges of their times and justify the institution of the award scheme.

“We also need to justify the huge investment that Ghana is making in education through hard work, higher dedication and commitment to duty and the production of good students with better results,” he said.

The winners in first position in each category took home a table top fridge, four-burner gas cooker with a cylinder and other accessories with the third position receiving suit cases.