Mr Tirso dos Santos, Country Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on Tuesday bemoaned the low level of reading habit among Ghanaians in the country.

“The indicator to this fact is the report of the National Forum on the Falling Standards of the English Language which was organised last year,” he said.

Mr dos Santos made the call during the celebration of “World Book and Copyright Day,” on the theme: “The Role of a Reading Society in National Development, on April 23.

In a message read on behalf of Mr dos Santos by Mr Kwesi Asare Odoi Anim, Assistant Programme Specialist for Education, UNESCO, Ghana Office, he called for more education on the need for Ghanaians to cultivate good reading habits.

“We should come out with modalities on identifying the preferred and available medium and channels for acquiring readable materials,” he said.

Mr dos Santos commended the efforts of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)- Student Parliamentarians Forum that organised the programme, for its efforts in promoting the development, nurturing and sustenance of reading habit and culture among people in the West African Sub-Region.

He appealed to researchers, translators, archivists, bookshop proprietors, writers, policy makers and other stakeholders to assist in inculcating reading habit into Ghanaians.

Mr Oma’ Adwuma, Convener, ECOWAS Student Parliamentarians Forum, called for the rejuvenation of the Bureau of Ghana Languages, to ensure the continuous development of local languages.

He bemoaned the lack of stakeholder interest in the affairs of the ECOWAS Parliamentarian Forum, and cited lack of funds as its main challenge.**