Winneba (C/R), Sept. 15, GNA - The Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, has said that government considers the church as a worthy partner in development and would therefore deepen State-Church relations to help promote and sustain socio-economic development. Mr Hammah who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, said this at the Children's Week celebration of the Pentecost Haloloya Temple Church in Winneba.

The celebration was to draw attention to parents, churches and the government on how best they could come together for the proper training of the child. Mr Hammah said the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) considers education as one of the most important factors for development.

In this regard, he said, "government would continue to invest in the sector to ensure that every Ghanaian, regardless of status becomes functionally literate and productive". The Minister urged parents to be responsible and to take care of their children's education to enable them to become useful citizens in future.

He called on traditional authorities to liaise with District Assemblies to come out with bye-laws that would prevent the youth from taking hard drugs and indulging in other anti-social vices that affect their growth.

Mr Hammah urged the youth to be disciplined and obey their parents to ensure that they grow up to be responsible future leaders capable of taking charge over the development of the nation. The Rev. Frank Forjoe in his sermon said the church would continue to meet the spiritual needs of the congregation. He later prayed for God's guidance for the President and those in authority so that they would be capable of taking the right decisions needed for the development of the country.