Accra, Feb. 15, GNA - Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reforms on Thursday called for the institution of a remembrance day for Dr Kwame Nkrumah, first President of Ghana. He however, dismissed calls for a national holiday to commemorate the day.

Dr Nduom, who is also a CPP member in Parliament made the call during a motion to thank President John Agyekum Kufuor for the State of the Nation Address, which the President delivered on February 8 2007. Dr Nduom said the nation should also remember all the personalities that contributed to the struggle and eventual victory for independence on March 6, 1957.

"All personalities before Nkrumah who contributed to the independent struggle must be recognized to make the celebration all embracing," Dr Nduom said.

He described the address as remarkable and consistent with State of Nation Addresses for the previous years.

The Minister said the celebration of the Ghana's Golden Jubilee offers a great opportunity for all Ghanaians to participate widely. Mr Stephen Balado Manu, NPP-Ahafo Ano South, who described himself as "acting Minority Leader", said the macro economic level of the nation was doing well but expressed the need to step up activities at the micro level to alleviate poverty.

He said if care was not taken to accelerate the development of rural areas with good transportation and other distribution network to facilitate rural/urban migration would reach its peak with its unimaginable consequences.

Mr Manu called for support for agro-processing industries to give boost to agriculture in the rural areas. On the capitation grant, Mr Manu said the programme had led to increase in enrolment but there was not adequate infrastructure to support it.

Mr Kojo Opare-Hammond, NPP-Adenta, noted with gratitude for the water project for Adenta area but appealed that the project would be fast tracked so that it would be completed before the 2008 schedule. Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing announced that water was now flowing in the taps of Adenta, which had had severe water problem twice in a week since the last two months.

He said more boreholes were being sunk and added that the Accra East Water Project, which Mr Opare-Hammond spoke of, would be completed by the end of 2007. 15 Feb. 07