Accra, June 28, GNA - The First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills on Tuesday urged students abroad who come on exchange programmes in Ghana to tell the virtues and good things they found on the African continent. This she said would remove the negative perceptions about the Continent.

"Tell them we don't live on trees, we have cars and airplanes. Ghana is a beautiful country, with peaceful people," Mrs Mills said, as she welcomed young people of the Global Leadership Youth Group of the Ghana Committee of the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission, on an exchange programme to Ghana.

They have adopted Winneba, in the Central Region as the twin-sister city in Ghana.

Mrs Mills expressed regret that the negative image of Africa had been painted for far too long.

She said Accra was now becoming a Millennium City, and with a toast of Ghanaian hospitality and invited students and investors abroad to come down to Ghana to savour the good things of the country.

The First Lady, reminisced her days as a teacher, and urged the students to take their studies seriously to become good leaders in future.

"Don't waste your youth, avoid drugs, they destroy," Mrs Mills said.

Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive expressed the hope that the partnership of the two nations would be mutually beneficial.

Ms Bettina Boateng, Management Member of the Group, said the leadership training programme taught its members that success was achieved through service.

"We are excited by the long standing relations between the two sister cities," she said.

She said the group was interested in environmental protection programmes, and would visit orphanages while in Ghana.

The student exchanged gift with the First Lady.