The first translation of the Gospel of Saint Mark into the Ahanta language has been launched with a call on Ghanaians to develop literacy in the national languages to enhance communicationskills for development.

In a speech read for him at the launching of the book at Agona Nkwanta on Thursday, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph B. Aidoo, expressed regret that the importance of many Ghanaian languages was gradually being lost since there are no mechanisms to preserve and teach the languages to thepresent and future generations.

He therefore, congratulated the Ghana Institute of Linguistics Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT), which undertook the project on their efforts to translate that part of the bible into Ahanta.

He further praised the GILLBT, a Christian NGO, for undertaking similar projects on many other language groups in the country. Mr. Aidoo said it is significant that part of the Bible has been used to facilitate literacy in the Ahanta language because Ghanaians, who are predominantly Christians, could understand and appreciate Christianity better.

The project manager of GILLBT Mr. Samuel Ntumy, said the institute is undertaking a ten-year project to produce publications, which would facilitate literacy in the Ahanta language, establish non-formal literacy classes for the people and streamline the alphabet and orthography of the language. He said apart from the Bible translation, the institute has produced publications in Ahanta on AIDS, Tree Planting, Primers and Abridged version of the 1992 Ghana constitution.

Mr. Ntumy disclosed that the institute has established 12 literacy classes with 150 learners and 30 facilitators in the communities. He said the learners, made up of 77 women and 73 men have so far completed six months course in reading and writing the language proficiently in the literacy classes.

Mr. Ntumy said the misconception that "Ahanta is a dead language and could not be written has now been disproved". A senior lecturer in political science at the institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr. Kwesi Jonah, pledged to offer 600,000 cedis per year for three years towards the Ahanta literacy project.

The member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Mr. Samuel Jonfiah, also pledged one million cedis from his common fund allocation towards the project. The first copy of the Gospel of Saint Mark translated into Ahanta was auctioned and bought for one million cedis by the Omanhene of Ahanta Traditional Area, Nana Baido Bonsoe the fifteenth, who chaired the function.