Regional News of Tuesday, 10 May 2005

Source: GNA

Make reasonable demands from government - Workers told

Mankessim, May 10, GNA - The Bishop of the Cape Coast Diocese of the Methodist Church, the Right Reverend Isaac Quansah, has appealed to workers to make reasonable demands from the government.

"I am surprised that some teachers have appealed to the government to give them additional extra-duty allowance as being done to doctors and nurses".

"How many hours do teacher spend on official duties after work and don't they charge pupils for the extra work that they do," the Bishop asked.

Addressing delegates from the 20 circuits of the Diocese at the closing of the five-day synod of the Church on the theme, "Giving Jesus Christ and the Gospel to the knowledge and Acceptance of all people, Bishop Quansah said if teachers could work conscientiously, there would be no need for extra classes before their students could pass examinations.

"Do effective work from 8.00 to 2.00 pm and leave the students alone and you will produce results," he advised teachers.

Bishop Quansah appealed to Christians to pray for a change of heart without which nothing could be achieved and said, "Ghanaians can make noise and if God does not transform us we cannot achieve anything". He urged the people to attach importance to environmental sanitation to reduce diseases fifth.

The Bishop called on Christians to win more people for Christ through their lifestyles.

He advised Church leaders not to concentrate their efforts in building "huge edifices" but rather to construct more Churches in the communities to enable more people to worship at their doorsteps. Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, MP for Mfantseman West and Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Modernisation of the Capital City, advised Christians to embark on evangelisation to extend the Word to their fellows who did not know much about God. He advised them to lead exemplary lives in their homes, workplaces and communities to transform wrongdoers in the society. The MP donated one million cedis in an appeal for funds, which yielded 7.4 million cedis.