Kumasi, Nov 6, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has called on the Church, civil organisations and traditional rulers to lead the campaign against social vices to promote national development.

Speaking at the opening of the Annual Plenary Assembly of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) in Kumasi on Monday, he expressed concern about the ascendancy in armed robbery, bribery and corruption, embezzlement of state funds and tribalism that affected development. The weeklong conference being attended by the 22 Bishops in the country would discuss national issues aimed at promoting the development of the Church and the country.

He noted that the revelations from the sittings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament was worrying in view of the government's declaration of zero tolerance for corruption. The Regional Minister called on Ghanaians especially government officials to be transparent and patriotic in their endeavours since corruption was inimical to national development. He stressed the determination of the government to "do everything possible to address the canker in the society to help the nation to achieve her development goals".

The Most Reverend Lucas Abadamloora, Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Dioceses and President of the GCBC, said the Conference had been committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS over the years. He said the Church had been involved in outreach and sensitisation programmes and the supply of relief items to people living with the disease as well as orphans of victims of the pandemic. The President of the Bishops Conference advised Ghanaians to be tolerant of divergent views for peaceful general elections next year to ensure peace, stability and development. Professor (Dr) John Wereko Brobby, a Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) appealed to Church leaders to impress upon their congregations to be law-abiding and to avoid excessive noise during services.