State officials urged not to yield to excessive pressure from cronies

Koforidua, Aug. 10, GNA - The Bishop of the Akyem Oda Diocese of the Methodist Church-Ghana, Right Reverend Colonel Paul Brewu (Retired), has advised national office holders not to yield to excessive demands from relatives, friends and party supporters among others to embezzle state funds.

He observed that more often many office holders, who found themselves in the law courts for embezzlements, were as a result of their inability to resist pressures from some quarters and therefore dipped their hands into the nation's coffers to satisfy them.

Rt. Rev. Brewu was preaching the sermon at a thanksgiving service at the St. Luke Methodist Cathedral at Akyem Oda in honour of Ms Ophelia Koomson, the Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

Ms Koomson, who was recently confirmed as the MCE, is a chorister of the Cathedral for many years now.

Rt. Rev. Brewu reminded the MCE that at the end of her tenure of office, she would account to the people and there was therefore the need for her to conduct all affairs in a transparent manner.

He challenged her to be blameless and not to aim at maximizing wealth so that people would not have any negative thing to say about her.

Rt. Rev. Brewu also advised the MCE to be vigilant and examine all suggestions people would bring to her before acting on them.

He commended President John Evans Atta Mills for nominating a woman as the MCE, among 21 Municipal/District Chief Executives in the Eastern Region.

Ms Koomson on her part thanked members of the church in particular and all others for their various roles that led to her approval as the MCE and called for their fruitful co-operation to move the municipality forward.

She used the occasion to appeal to parents to put premium on their children's education, especially the girl-child.

Ms Koomson advised traders to pay their tolls and other taxes promptly to enable the assembly to generate the needed resources to provide more development projects in the area.

She advised people to keep a clean environment at all times to avoid an outbreak of communicable diseases.