Wa, Sept. 8, GNA - Mr Alex Tetteh Enyo, Minister of Education on Monday said a nation without laws and good moral values was not only in danger but could head into chaos.

"A society without good moral values is bound to decline and eventually collapse. Our society today is crying for discipline. in order to be able to move the country towards development," he said. This was contained in a speech read for him by the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid at the opening of the 11th Basic Schools National Festival of Arts and Culture in Wa. The three-day festival, which is on the theme: "Culture, an epitome of our moral values" involved school children from all the ten regions.

Mr Tetteh-Enyo said the Ghanaian culture is an embodiment of a great deal of moral values and therefore urged people to be disciplined. He said the increase of the Capitation Grant from GH¢3.00 to GH¢4.50 was a manifestation of Government's commitment towards the promotion, development and preservation of cultural values among other equally important educational programmes. He said the festival should, therefore, be seen as a unifying force of all the ethnic groups in the country and also as a means of achieving national unity.

Mr Tetteh-Enyo said obsolete and outmoded cultural practices that were detrimental to the progress and development of the nation should be discarded.

"Let us use education to help identify all useful and progressive cultural practices, customs, traditions and values that would aid and move the country toward development," urged. Mr Kale Cezar, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister said time had come for people to stand against the negative cultural practices. He, however, observed that some good cultural values and practices were no more cherish and practice and said we should bore in mind the old adage that says, "He who tears the garment of honour wears the mask of disgrace".

Mr Cezar noted that the respect for indigenous traditional laws and institutions that helped united the people and ensured peaceful co-existence had started to fade resulting in the weakening of the traditional systems.

He advised the youth against hard drugs, premarital sex, teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, which were impacting negatively on their education. 8 Sept. 09