President John Agyekum Kufuor was on Thursday inducted into office as the honourary Chief Scout Executive of the Ghana Scout Association.

President Kufuor swore the Scout oath and was decorated with a scarf of the association by Mr Isaac Newton Addy, Chief Scout Commissioner while Mr Lamine Diawara, Regional Director, West Africa Office of the World Scout Bureau pinned a badge on him at a brief ceremony at the Castle, Osu.

A citation read by Mrs Jemima Nartey-Adjirakor, Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner said, "As you accept this honourary position, you help to set the example that the nation's youth need to better understand and live by scouting principles.

"When leaders demonstrate honesty and integrity, a precedence of good is set and a standard of excellence is shown for all to follow". Mr Addy appealed to the government for assistance to rehabilitate the headquarters at the Baden Powell Memorial Hall in Accra and the training grounds at Sekyikrom, near Nsawam.

He said this would encourage the youth to join the association aimed at ensuring moral strength, character, good citizenship and the development of the physical, mental and emotional fitness. President Kufuor recounted his experience as a young scout in the 1940's when he joined other colleagues to welcome Lady Baden Powell to Ghana in 1949.

He said the country was at crossroads to ensure discipline among the youth and required an institution like the association to restore confidence into the people. President Kufuor said government would offer the needed assistance to institutions and organisations that would ensure discipline among the youth and advised all such institutions to assist the Ministry of Youth and Sports to draw up policies that would benefit the youth.