Accra, Sept. 15, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday called on Lions Club International to extend their activities to all the regions of the country to whip up the people’s enthusiasm to undertake community service programmes.

He also urged them to use such occasions to demystify the perception that the Lions Clubs and other social organizations were for only the affluent in society.

Vice President Mahama made this call when the new regional Governor from Togo, Mr Andre Ekoue Gbadoe, together with members of the Ghanaian chapter of the Club called on him at the Castle, Osu.

Lion Andre Gbadoe, who took over the Governorship position in July this year, is in charge of Togo, Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

In Ghana, however , only five regions, namely; Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti and Eastern have functional chapters.

Vice President Mahama commended them for their social interventions they had carried out over the years and appealed to them to collaborate with Government to enhance rapid growth and development.

“Lions Club is reputable and well known because of the community service they have provided over the years in accordance with their motto: ‘We serve’.”

Governor Gbadoe said the Club was equipping a hearing aid and assessment Centre at Cape Coast with a total amount of $47,000, with the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital also receiving a new water project.

He said they were also supporting the Tema Eye Clinic and the Korle-Bu hospital with projects to compliment the efforts of government.

Lion George Odamtten, Regional chairman of the Club said the Ghanaian chapter would from this year undertake a tree planting programme aimed at planting a total of 200,000 trees country-wide and called for governmental support for them to achieve their goals.