Mr Pontius Pilate Apaabey Baba, Upper East Regional Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has observed that quality citizenship is very crucial tool for national development.

The regional director who made the observation at this year’s Citizenship Day celebration held in 320 basic schools across the districts in the region stressed that no nation can develop effectively when its citizens lack quality citizenship.

He explained that it was based on this that the Commission introduced the concept aimed at inculcating quality citizenship and democratic values into the school pupils with the view that they would grow to become more responsible leaders.

Mr Baba expressed regret about the numerous ethnic and political conflicts in the country particularly in northern Ghana, as well as the violent protests by students, which leads to destruction of school property.

He said these are by-products of lack of quality citizenship.

He said the Citizenship Day, which ends on May 30, is targeting 4,000 basic schools throughout the country.

Mrs Georgina Aberese-Ako, Regional Director of Department of Children told the school children that every body counts in the contribution to national development.

“You could contribute to national development by being disciplined and avoid causing destruction to school properties, being punctual to school, cleaning of the environment and respecting your parents including teachers and elders and also taken your studies seriously,” she told the pupils.

As part of the event, the pupils are expected to plant more than 1,000 tree seedlings donated to the NCCE by the Forestry Commission and Savannah Accelerated Development Authority.

Each school is to nurture and grow three trees in their school, which forms part of the school pupils’ civic responsibilities of protecting and safeguarding the environment.

The Citizenship Day celebration is on the theme: “Advancing Together,” with the sub-theme: “Every one Counts.”