Mankranso (Ash), April 9, GNA- A 26-year-old driver's mate was on Tuesday granted a 10 million-cedis bail by the Mankranso magistrate's court for overloading and assault.

Kwabena Bame pleaded guilty and wouild re-appear on April 20 for sentence.

Police Chief Inspector Carl Michael Adjeng told the court that on November 15, 2003, the accused picked passengers from Biemso Number One to Mankranso and seated them four on a seat instead of three.

He said one of the passengers Mr John Opoku a purchasing clerk at Biemso Number One therefore challenged the accused.

Chief Inspector Adjeng said this did not go down well with the driver's mate and so an argument ensued between him and Opoku and his brother who was also on the vehicle.

He said two weeks later, the accused went to the house of Opoku who asked him to leave his premises but the accused refused and this generated into a fight but they were separated.

Chief Inspector Adjeng said the accused hit the ribs of Mr Opoku who collapsed and had to be rushed to the Mankranso hospital where he was admitted for some days before being referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for an operation which cost him more than six million cedis.

At Winneba, a leading member of the Celestial End Time Ministry, Mr Joseph Akpanu, called on the religious community to use their large numerical strength to transform the nation.

He observed that the crime wave, HIV/AIDS and youth indiscipline were on the increase and said it was the responsibility of religious organisations to help address the situation.

He said religious leaders ought to play a frontline role in championing the course of prudent measures, which will help the nation.

He said once the nation have been blessed with lots of natural resources such as gold, bauxite, manganese timber and cocoa, there is the need for our leaders to develop effective planning to able to sustain such resources for the development of the nation.

Mr Akpanu therefore appealed to religious leaders to strive and stay focus on the principles of the Holy Bible instead of always narrating personal stories to capture the minds of the congregation.