Vice President Aliu Mahama, opening the Seventh Security Services Association SESSA Games on Monday, urged the security services to offer special places in their recruitment programmes to talented young people in sporting disciplines.

Giving them jobs, he said, would motivate the young stars and also give them access to the sporting facilities to train and improve on their talents.

"There have been times when young budding talents identified during schools and college competitions, are left to wallow in obscurity on completion of their education because of lack of interest and adequate follow-ups in the future of talents."

Vice President Mahama said that situation did not augur well for the systematic training and grooming of sporting stars to win laurels for the country.

He stressed the government's commitment to redeem Ghana's image as a glorious sporting nation through various programmes.

"At the moment Ghana cannot lay claim to sports supremacy in any discipline even in West Africa," he complained and put the blame on lack of planning, promotion and coordination among the various stakeholders.

The revived SESSA Games, he said, is one of the avenues to identify, nurse and nurture talented sports persons.

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Prisons Service and the Ghana Police Service are participating in the five-day games.

Additionally, Vice President Mahama said, plans are underway to organise inter school sporting competitions at the regional and district levels to hunt for talents.

District, regional and national sports festivals would also be organised to search for talents within communities.

He said the government is holding discussions with the Nigerian government to revive the Ghana-Nigeria Sports Festival to be hosted by Nigeria next year, adding that similar programmes would be initiated with the other neighbouring countries.

"These and other programmes will serve as part of our preparations towards next year's Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Athens, Greece.

He appealed to the security services to use SESSA as a platform to strengthen the ties of friendship among them and to enhance public security cooperation.

Disciplines to be contested include soccer, tug of war, volleyball, basketball and handball.

Chairman of the SESSA Games, Mr E.A. Atenga, acting Chief Fire Officer, said the services are happy that the games have been revived after a 12-year break.

The games were halted for the security personnel to prepare for the 1992 General Elections.

Defence Minister Kwame Addo Kuffour, Interior Minister Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minister of State of Education Youth and Sports, Rashid Bawa and a Deputy Minister of the Ministry, Mr Joe Aggrey attended the opening ceremony at the El- Wak Stadium.