Nkawie (Ash), April 17, GNA - Mr Eddy Obeng-Darko, Atwima District Director of Education, has advised Ghanaians, especially workers to change their lukewarm and negative attitudes and mentality that impede national development and progress.

He asked them rather to use their rich knowledge and experiences to facilitate the realisation of the social and economic aspirations of the country to promote rapid growth.

Mr Obeng-Darko was speaking at a send-off party organised by the Atwima District Education Directorate in honour of 10 retired senior education officers at Nkawie on Friday.

The officers who diligently and continuously served the nation ranging between 25 and 41 years, were presented with various items including kente cloths and native sandals, wrist watches, wall clocks, certificates and cash prizes totalling over 20 million cedis.

They included Mr Eric Mensah-Otchere, who was the District Examination Officer, Mrs Comfort Owusu, the District Girl-Child Education Co-ordinator, Mr Yaw Sefah, District Internal Auditor, Mr Atta Kwabena, District Accountant, Nana Adom Frempong, former Headmaster of Toase Secondary School and Mr Ofori Yentumi, former Headmaster of Osei Tutu Secondary School.

Mr Gilbert Abebrese, former District Training Officer was honoured posthumously, while Mr Osei-Wiafe Akenten who had been transferred to the Ashanti Regional Education Office as the Agricultural Science and Environmental Co-ordinator and Mr Kwame Boateng Marfoh, District Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) who is also on transfer to Ahafo-Ano South were also honoured.

Mr Obeng-Darko observed that the nation could only achieve its social, economic and national development and advancement if the working people exhibited a high sense of discipline, patriotism, integrity, decency and maturity.

He advised workers not to place undue emphasis on the acquisition of money and other material wealth at the expense of moral decency, social ethics and the desire to effect meaningful change at their workplaces.

On behalf of the Ghana Education Service and the District Assembly, Mr Obeng-Darko expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the retired officers for their selfless and dedicated services and entreated the in-coming young officers to emulate them.

Mr James Adusei-Sarkodie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima-Nwabiagya, advised teachers to be guided by their daily conducts to engender national development, progress and prosperity.

The government, the MP said was very much committed to the qualitative improvement of education in the country and that it would do everything to motivate teachers to enable them to perform better. Mr Adusei-Sarkodie advised the retired officers to make available to the district their rich knowledge and experiences and pledged to tap their resources to improve upon education standard in the district.