Akyem Oda, Nov. 2, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, has appealed to religious bodies, individuals and institutions to help promote peace.

He said the absence of peace was not limited to a geographical location on the planet therefore the promotion of peace and development was also not limited to any individual or institution and government. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this in an address read on his behalf at the dedication of a church hall for the Akyem Oda Diocese of the Methodist Church at Akyem Oda.

The GHC 220,000 hall, which was named after the late Dr K. A. Kwarko, a prominent member of the church and his wife, consisted of seven guest rooms, conference rooms, and a main hall with 1,000 seats, kitchen and washrooms. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said education was the bedrock of development in every society and urged parents and leaders of the church and society to give their children the best of education "The entire world is gradually growing into a global village and without an improved and modernized education; Ghana would in the near future find it difficult to compete favourably with the rest of the world in the field of skilled labour and other professions".

He appealed to the youth to guard against the get-rich quick syndrome and reminded them that opportunities abounded for them to make it in future and urged them to make good use of those opportunities. The Most Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church-Ghana, said in a sermon that he was not happy about the situation whereby some people took advantage of others and exploited them and urged all to change for the better. The Rev Asante commended members of the church for putting up the hall and urged that people should disabuse their minds of the wrong perception that churches spend too much money on structures at the expense of the poor. He said through the provision of those structures more people would come to experience the word of God.