Kumasi, Aug.20, GNA - Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament has expressed concern about the increasing rate of immorality in the society and stressed the need for moral education to address the problem to build a free and just society.

He noted that increase in violence; crime, teenage pregnancy and the spread of the HIV/AIDS were affecting the country's socio-economic development.

Mr Blay who is also the Member of Parliament for Ellembele, made the call when addressing the opening session of the 24th annual delegates' rally of Ahmadiyya Muslim Elders Organisation of Ghana in Kumasi.

The two-day rally attended by over 2,000 delegates from Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso, was under the theme, "Moral Education: Solution to Contemporary Problems".

Mr Blay said moral education was not a new idea and the Holy Quran expected Muslims to provide better moral foundation for their children. "Our forefathers made moral education a deliberate aim of childhood development as they trained children for good character as well as intellect, decency, literacy, virtue and knowledge," he added. Mr Blay, appealed to parents to give the needed attention and the necessary moral education to their children at home and in addition, instil good moral values in them children to become useful and responsible adults.

He urged the delegates as ambassadors of God to maintain high level of integrity to help check moral decadence in the society. Mr Blay commended the government for introducing moral education into the school curriculum and called on political leaders, parents, teachers, opinion leaders and role models in society to play their roles meaningfully for children to emulate.

Maulvi Muhammad Yusuf Yawson, Deputy Ameer, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, expressed concern about the increasing rate of drug trafficking in Ghana and said the problem was affecting the fabric of society.

He called on the government and civil societies and organisations to condemn the act and adopt more stringent measures to serve as deterrent to people engaged in such practice. Maulvi Yawson called on Muslims to be honest and eschew negative tendencies that would affect peace, progress and prosperity of the country.