Government to rope in senior citizens for development

Wa, July 2, GNA - Alhaji Issahaque Salia, Upper West Regional Minister, has assured senior citizens that government would create space for them to share experiences with the youth and instill discipline in them.

He said there was the need to constantly recall the history of Ghana for the younger generation to appreciate the values of nation building, which entailed sacrifice, dedication to duty, being each other's keeper, discipline and hard work.

Alhaji Salia was addressing senior citizens from the region in Wa to mark the 51st anniversary of Ghana's Republican status.

He said Ghana stood the risk of losing out on the essential values that bonded its people and warned against the influence of foreign culture, misguided modernization, materialism and greed in society.

Alhaji Salia encouraged Ghanaians to support any effort that would help bring back the lost values as a people, especially in the area of controversies of chieftaincy and land disputes which, he said was creating various forms of disunity among some community members.

He, therefore, called on senior citizens to exert their influence in resolving those conflicts and disputes by constantly reminding community members that they have a common identity.

He said Ghanaians could not afford the high price of conflicts and wars and all must focus on development and avoid acts that had the tendency of dividing the people.

Alhaji Salia said government and the people appreciate the value of the service that some senior citizens had rendered to the country and were still contributing their bit in various aspects in the communities which must also be acknowledged.