Kumasi, March 2, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama has said the government would commit resources to improve the standard of women's education, especially in the Zongo communities. He stressed that the Mills Administration believed in the potentials of women and that it recognized them as key partners in development. The Vice President explained that when women were well educated, it enhanced their skills, knowledge and ability to contribute effectively towards national development. This was contained in a speech, read for him by Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Presidential Spokesperson, at the closing session of the 12th National Conference of the Ahlussunna Wal-Jama'a, an Islamic sect in Kumasi, on Sunday.

The three-day conference was on the theme, "Propagation and Moral Upbringing as Espoused in the Sunnah (Teachings) of Prophet Mohammed". Vice President Mahama emphasized the need for the populace and corporate bodies, as well as other stakeholders, to collaborate with the government to address some social ills such as ignorance, poverty, diseases and hunger. He said Ghana had the tendency to realize its development goals and therefore, the citizenry should put up the right attitude in whatever they did to maximize productivity in all sectors of the economy.

On indiscipline, he cautioned that no developed society had reached its present status by taking things for granted, saying, the time had come for all and sundry to work hard to help catapult Ghana to the promise land. Sheikh Omar Ibrahim, National Imam of the Ahlussunna Sect, stated that one of the powerful mediums of influencing the thinking and behaviour of a people was preaching. "It is thus important for a preacher to consider such environmental factors as the social, political and economic set up of a people in order to tailor messages that would contribute to their development".

Sheikh Ibrahim was not happy that some Muslims refused to cater for the educational upbringing of their children but accused the children of leading irresponsible lives, and explained that unless Muslims invested in their children's education, their future would be bleak. Mr Isaac Osei, Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, stressed the need for Muslims to reflect on the key tenets in the religion, which stood for peace, saying it was high time Muslims tolerated each other to foster social harmony among them and in the country. Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Minister of Youth and Sports and hosts of delegates from Sub-Saharan Africa of the sect attended the ceremony.