Winners of essay competition on discipline rewarded

Accra, Feb. 27, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, on Friday noted that the enthusiasm with which Ghanaians greeted Vice President Aliu Mahama's campaign for discipline was not the same way the problem was being tackled.

He said almost two years after the launch of the campaign, nothing much had been achieved, as the nation continued to find acts of gross indiscipline in almost every facet of national life.

"It seems to me that the little progress we have made with the campaign for greater discipline, is not for want of idea or even by those who are waging the campaign, but mainly due to the recalcitrance of the majority of our people", he said.

Mr Baah-Wiredu was speaking at the awards ceremony for winners of the Northern Sector Essay Competition on "Campaign for Greater Discipline" for second cycle schools at the Banquet Hall, State House in Accra.

The campaign for discipline was initiated and launched by the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama in August 2002.

It aims among other things to educate the citizenry on the need to do the right thing wherever they found themselves. The focal point is the youth, who are the future leaders of the country.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the country was still battling with mass disrespect for traffic regulations, indiscriminate disposal of waste, lack of regard for laid down procedures for addressing grievances and general disrespect for rules and regulations that had been put in place to govern the conduct of the people.

He said: "Instead of us all to join in the campaign and contribute our quota to make it successful, many of us have taken a passive stance, preferring to peep in, once in a while, to find out how campaigners are doing."

The Minister said it was also unfortunate that some media persons appeared to be passive bystanders, who called in from time to time to check on the "progress made so far", preferring to report on what they called the "failure" of the campaign.

He said the success of the campaign could be measured through the individual as well as the collective response of communities. Mr Baah-Wiredu said the Government would continue to play its part to improve the level of discipline in the country and to exhort the people to respect the laws of the land.

The Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, formed the northern sector of the competition. The first prize of a laptop computer, a portable printer, a set of books and a certificate went to Augustine Abugri of the Saint James Seminary and Secondary School in Sunyani.

Collins Dakurah of the Saint Charles Secondary School, Tamale, was awarded the second prize. He took home a laptop, set of books and a certificate.

The third prize of three million cedis, a set of books and a certificate went to Abdul Fatawu Yakubu of the Tamale Islamic Secondary School.

Prizes consisting of a set of books were given to the three best entrants in all the five regions.