President John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday assured Ghanaians that government would ensure that the ongoing biometric registration exercise is peaceful.

“We need peace to develop”, he said, adding that there was no need for the exercise to be characterized by violence and insults.

President Mills gave the assurance at Battor in the North Tongu District, his first point of call in a day’s working visit to the Volta Region.

President Mills emphasized that, peace was a prerequisite for development and said that he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere in the few places he has visited.

He expressed the confidence that the people would renew the mandate of the ruling National Democratic Congress in election 2012.

The paramount Chief of Battor, Togbe Dzekle VII, expressed appreciation to President Mills for visiting the area.

He appealed to politicians to be cautious of their pronouncements so as not to cause violence and maintain the peace of the nation.

He said the people of Battor and Mete traditional area would not allow any of their citizens to die for any politician.

Togbe Dzekle thanked the President and the government for giving the area a fair share of development but appealed for more assistance in the area of social and economic development.

The President presented gifts to the chiefs and people of the area, including crates of soft drinks, bottles of schnapps, crates of beer and Guinness.**