Accra, March 31, GNA - Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence, on Monday observed that Ghana's dependence on foreign aid could be minimized if citizens abroad contributed to the country's development. He, therefore, suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered setting up a division to encourage and organize Ghanaians staying abroad to help with the nation's development.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said this during a presentation of dual desks and chairs for first cycle schools and 2,000 spectacles costing 124 million cedis to the government.

Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Ghana's High Commissioner in Sierra Leone, on behalf of the Commission and the Ghanaian Community in Sierra Leone, presented the items to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It would be given to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Education Service(GES) and the Ghana Eye Secretariat.

Mr Blay-Amihere said the donation was made from a project known as the "Dollar a Month for Ghana".

This is in the form of contributions of one dollar a month by Ghanaians in Freetown consisting of professionals, the fishing community and soldiers working with UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), towards development projects in Ghana. He said the project was in response to the call by President John Agyekum Kufuor to Ghanaian Missions abroad to give focus on economic diplomacy.

He said the Ghana High Commission in Freetown had launched several other initiatives in that direction.