Ho, Aug. 10, GNA - Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister on Sunday reminded students that intelligence alone by itself could not ensure success in life.

He said good character formation and training as well as Christian and moral upbringing were equally essential for success in life. Mr Owusu-Yeboa was addressing the 53rd Honours Day Thanksgiving and Induction Service of the Mawuli School in Ho, under the theme, "Success Through Personal Initiative".

He advised students to grasped the boundless opportunities available to them for self-development and advancement.

He cautioned them against the "negative attractions and distractions associated with such prospects on your lives."

The Regional Minister reminded the final year students, who have just completed their examinations that "Life's journey has just begun". "Life's journey is not a path of roses. Even if it were so, you would not find the roses without their thorns. How the adult wished they could roll back the clock of life", he said.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa urged Mr Winfried Bonsi, the Headmaster of the School, who is due for retirement in October, this year to make available to the school his knowledge, experience and wisdom to generate sufficient energy towards nation-building, even in a senior citizen status.

The Reverend Ama Afo Blay, Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES) in a sermon, asked students to set achievable goals and rise up to the challenges, as with God, all things are possible. He urged them to seek spiritual answers to their probl ems, "rather than engaging in fraudulent acts".

Rev. Blay said students should acknowledge the position of authority and submissive to rules and regulations and stop being truant.

She asked final year graduates of the School to continue to be good ambassadors, translating the head, heart and hand into serving mankind and the nation at large.

Mr Bonsi appealed to the GES to assist the school to complete projects being undertaken, including the 16 leaking classrooms, the completion of work on the assembly hall and chapel as well as fencing of the school.

He urged all stakeholders to continue to work hard to build Mawuli School into an exceptionally highly rated institution in the country. Dr Colonel Francis Kwashie, Vice President of Old Mawuli Students Union (OMSU), who inducted the 570 batch of 2003 graduates said the idea was to catch them early into old unionism and to keep the torch burning for their alma mater.

He said OMSU would be reformed in structure to conform to present trends and aspirations.