Dodowa, Sept. 30, GNA- Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice President, on Saturday pledged government's desire to support the revival of the nation's cultural values.

This, he said, would be done through the celebration of traditional festivals to help promote tourism and national identity. Alhaji Aliu said this in an address read for him by Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Greater-Accra Regional Minister, at the celebration of the Ngmayem Festival by the chiefs and people of the Shai Traditional Area at Dodowa in the Dangme West District.

The chiefs and people of the area celebrate the festival annually amidst pomp and pageantry.

The Vice President lauded the people of the area for sustaining the historic event and also using the occasion to speed up the socio-economic transformation of the district. Vice President Aliu charged people in Dangme West to take advantage of the tourism potentials that abound in the district, namely, waterfalls, ancestral caves, wildlife, forest and festivals, and harness them effectively for their socio-economic benefits. He assured the people of government's determination to help find lasting solution to problems pertaining to land acquisition and non-payment of compensation, facing them. "It is never the intention of the New Patriotic Party government to deny any individual or group of people their birthrights," he declared, adding, "we believe in fairness".

He charged the chiefs and people in the district to co-operate with the district assembly, in its bid to bring development to the area. On the National Health Insurance Scheme, Alhaji Aliu urged the people to take advantage of it, to improve the health of their families. He reminded the youth that as they engaged in social activities during the occasion they should be mindful of the fact that the deadly HIV/AIDS disease was real, and not to take chances of indulging in sexual practices without the use of condoms.

Vice President Aliu asked the youth to adopt responsible lifestyles and to be serious with their studies in order to help in national development.

He urged the chiefs and people in the traditional area to take keen interest in the Educational Reform Programme, by sending their children to school for their future development.

He said government had transformed the Ghanata Senior High School at Dodowa from its dilapidated state into a modern model school. He expressed his satisfaction with the development of Ghanata School, which he said, was almost 98 per cent complete, adding that, it had already made significant impact on the educational landscape, by doubling its student intake.

Mr Michael Nortey, Dangme West District Chief Executive asked the people to take advantage of the School Feeding Programme and the Capitation Grant and enroll their children in school. Mr Nortey said it was regrettable that the results of this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination in the district, was nothing to write home about.

He, therefore, asked stakeholders in education within the district to put their heads together and help find solutions to the fallen standards of education in the area. Mr David Tetteh Asumeng, Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku, urged the people to put their political leanings behind them and forge ahead in unity to develop the area.

Nene Awate Bana Atrokpa, Acting President of the Shai Traditional Council, appealed to the Vice President to use his good offices to ensure that lands belonging to the Shais were returned to them as soon as possible.

Nene Atrokpa pledged the people's preparedness to make maximum use of lands in the area for economic development, saying that, it was the greatest tribute they could pay to their ancestors. "Let as link the celebration with our efforts at developing the Shai Traditional Area", the Acting President declared. Mrs Kate Odjidja, member of the District Education Planning Team, asked parents to stop hiding behind the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme to shirk their parental responsibilities. "You should assist school authorities in the proper training of your children by providing them with uniforms and other things that will enable them to complete school." Mrs Odjidja appealed to young girls in the district to concentrate on their studies to enable them to grow up into responsible adults. Among those present at the function was Mrs Theresa Ameley Tagoe, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister. 30 Sept. 07