Saltpond (C/R), Aug. 8, GNA - The Most Reverend John Martin Darko, Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese of the Catholic Church, has commended Ghanaian Christian women for their contribution to the development of the Church and the nation.

He said women play a key role in society and they should be encouraged to contribute meaningfully to the progress of Ghana. Most Rev. Darko made the commendation at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Catholic Women's Association that was on the theme: "The Catholic Women and the Development of the Youth Towards Nation building", at Saltpong in the Central Region. He said the Catholic Church was committed to providing education for the social, cultural, economic, spiritual and mental development of the people.

Most Rev. Darko, who is the Episcopal Chairman of the Laity Council of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, called for State-Church collaboration to improve the country's educational system to produce literate and God-fearing citizens, adding "a person without good morals is dangerous to his or her nation."

He stressed that for Ghana to have upright and reliable leaders there was the need to inculcate in the youth moral and intellectual values.

Bishop Darko commended women for their efforts in bringing-up their children and for keeping homes functioning but he expressed worry that some parents relegated their responsibility to teachers and blame them for their children's misconduct.

The Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Bishop of Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Catholic Church, called on all Ghanaians to get involved in national development adding "building a society or a nation is like a relay race in which baton keep on changing from one person to the other until the anchor person sends it to the finishing line."

He appealed to parents and opinion leaders to jointly take steps to curb drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, teenage pregnancies, armed robbery, occultism, cyber fraud, known as "Sakawa" among the youth. "If the youth, who are our future leaders resort to the get-rich-by-all means attitude, then the development of the nation is at great risk".

The Association was formed by, Reverend Mother Gertrude Watroucha, a Nigerian Superior of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, in June 1959 at Saltpond, to promote evangelisatin through fostering love, unity and the provision of development projects