Accra, July 30, GNA-President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday made a spiritual commitment of the nation, seeking prayers for Ghana to realise its goals to improve and better the lives of the people. He said that despite the objections raised in some quarters on idea of prayers for the nation, the nation still needs prayers and do God's bidding to get his abundant blessings.

"This is a country which needs prayers so that we do what is right and pleasing in the sight of God", President Mills said, when he received a delegation of the clerics from the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), at the Osu Castle in Accra.

Members of the 500-member Catholic bishops' conference, made up of archbishops, bishops and cardinals are in Accra, attending a five-day meeting at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. President Mills praised the Catholic Church for its social development programmes which have helped improve the lives of the people.

He said the church and state had similar visions to help improve the lot of the people raise their standard of living and to combat poverty.

President Mills however added, prayer would ginger the nation and serve as impetus for the physical and material efforts of the nation, and entreated the citizenry to do God's bidding so that Ghana would continue to get God's abundant blessings.

The President of the Conference, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, commended the cordial relations between the Government of Ghana and the Catholic Church in the church's social development programmes. He extended the best wishes of the Conference, and assured the President of continued prayers for the nation.

The cleric also congratulated the Black Stars on their spectacular performance at the just ended FIFA World Cup Tournament in South Africa. 30 July 10