Tamale, March 6, GNA - Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba, the Northern Regional Minister, has lauded the achievements of the country since independence, saying "Despite the various obstacles, setbacks, mistakes and shortcomings, we can indeed say we have made progress."

He, therefore, called for the proper nurturing of the youth through quality formal education to enable them to understand what the country has gone through, take pride in our national heritage and to prepare them for future responsibilities.

Mr. Mabengba was addressing the parade of the 53rd Independence celebration in Tamale, on Saturday, under the theme; "Investing in the Youth for a Better Ghana."

The regional celebration was marked by 11 primary schools, 10 Junior High Schools, 14 Senior High Schools and some cadet corps, all from the Tamale Metropolis.

Mr. Mabengba noted that the world was currently driven by knowledge and technology, which means that a nation with more knowledgeable people develops faster. "We must, therefore, devote maximum attention to the education of the youth." He said the right mix of the manpower and skills of the nation was necessary to ensure the proper management of the various institutions of the economy.

Mr. Mabengba said the nation must reflect on the contributions of its founders, through whose efforts the country was liberated from the shackles of colonialism, and keep the flame burning. He announced that the region had been allocated with 2,692,569 school uniforms and 73,378 exercise books and would soon be distributed to the various schools under the first batch of the government's free school uniforms programme. 06 March 09