Kumasi, Sept. 18, GNA - A Youth Activist has advised Religious Organizations, to view with all seriousness the current spate of motor accidents on the country's roads, and evolve pragmatic programmes to complement efforts of Motor Traffic Experts at addressing the trend. Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, a Former President of Youth in Action, an embodiment of Youth Groups in Kumasi, said as a component part of such programmes, Religious Bodies should devote ample time during their prayer sessions to seek divine intervention to relieve the country of such avoidable motor accidents.

Odeneho Appiah gave the advice when he addressed the closing session of a prayer and fasting programme, organized by the Kwadaso Christian Youth Fellowship in Kumasi on Saturday. The one-day programme, created a platform for members of the Fellowship to soberly reflect on motor accidents, and offer prayers to seek God's assistance in salvaging the country from such incidents. He said, just as Religious Bodies and their faithful give priority attention in their prayers to material things, so should they deem it even more prudent to devote greater time of their prayers to asking God to help reduce motor accidents.

Odeneho Appiah reminded the Religious Bodies that they stand to lose more in the event of motor accidents since most travellers and drivers "are faithful of one religion or the other". He said Religious Bodies role in preventing and reducing the occurrence of motor accidents should not just end with intensive prayers in their places of worship, but also in their individual homes and workplaces.

Odeneho Appiah suggested that the Religious Bodies should go beyond mere prayers and organize and create platforms in their various houses of worship, to usher in Experts of the Road Transport, including the National Road Safety Committee and the Motor Traffic Unit of the Police Service, to enlighten members of the congregation on rules governing the safe use of the roads.

He said such education fora should not be a one-term affair, but a continuous programme till people get to appreciate and abide by the road traffic regulations.

Odeneho Appiah said, while Religious Bodies were poised to contribute their quota to reduction of motor accidents, Government should also grant duty-free on all brand new vehicles to be imported into the country.

He said with brand new vehicles plying the road, it is certain that accidents will reduce, saying most of the motor accidents that occur in the country involve second-hand vehicles and not much of brand new vehicles.

Mr. Michael Ofori, Patron of the Kwadaso Christian Youth Fellowship, entreated passengers on board vehicles to muster courage to caution drivers should they be driving carelessly. He said failure to caution a reckless driver for fear of being shouted at by other passengers, is unacceptable since that could endanger " your life and that of others."