President John Evans Atta Mills has expressed the nation’s appreciation to volunteers of US Peace Corps for their invaluable contribution to national development.

President Mills, describing himself as a beneficiary of their service, reminisced his old days at Achimota School in 1961, where the Corps took over the teaching of students when some Ghanaian teachers decided to retire and the situation created a crisis for the school.

The volunteers, he noted, were rendering diverse services in remote parts of the country, where some Ghanaians would not want to go.

President Mills expressed the appreciation when some Peace Corps Volunteers in Ghana called on him at the Osu Castle in Accra.

The interaction was part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of establishment of the Corps in the US and its existence in Ghana.

There are presently 150 volunteers, both young and old, men and women, from different backgrounds and fields of specialisation from their home country rendering diverse services in Ghana.

About 5,000 volunteers have served in Ghana since the Corps set foot in Ghana.

President Mills commended the volunteers for their love for Ghana and their desire to share their experiences with Ghanaians.

In addition to the cultural exchanges, there have been other mutual exchanges, with some resulting in marriages between the volunteers and Ghanaians.

President Mills observed that Ghana could not repay the Corps for their invaluable service to the country.

He asked the volunteers to marry more Ghanaians, and asked for divine blessing on the corps for their services to Ghana.

Mr. Michael Koffman, Leader of the Corps in Ghana, thanked Ghanaians for the cordial relations between them.