First lady talks about indiscipline at speech Day

Ho, Nov. 30, GNA - Mrs Theresa Kufuor, the First Lady on Sunday observed that the problems of indiscipline besetting the country posed a threat to the full realisation of results of government policies to improve the lot of the people.

She lamented that, "there is moral decay in our society to the extent that currently one can hardly differentiate between what is right and what is wrong."

Mrs Kufuor said this in a speech read on her behalf at the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of the Saint Cecelia Choir of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church, Ho-Bankoe.

She acknowledged that the level of socio-economic development the country was enjoying today "could not have been possible without the involvement, support and contribution of the Church" and therefore, renewed her appeal to them to lead a crusade against moral degeneration.

The First Lady observed that singing was an important tool of evangelisation, but cautioned that Choristers must lead exemplary lives worthy of emulation or they would "find it extremely difficult to convey the useful message in hymns and songs to promote Christian values."

Mrs Kufuor said the gender mix of 45 women and 15 men of the Choir, demonstrated the unique role of women in the socio-economic development of the country.

She said notwithstanding the importance of assisting women to effectively discharge their obligations to society, there was also the need to take particular care of children.

"Our children are our assets and the future growth and development of this country depend largely on how we nurture the young ones", the First Lady stated. She, therefore, urged Churches to make every effort with other stakeholders to develop Day Care and Early Childhood Development Centres to prepare children for formal education.

The First Lady asked Christians and Choristers to "undertake a relentless crusade against the HIV/AIDS menace" warning that "if we refuse to act now, all the development programmes we are pursuing will come to naught."

Mrs Kufuor lauded the plan of the Choir in collaboration of the Parish to establish a vocational school, build an orphanage and go into agricultural production.

Mr David Kofi, Secretary of the Choir said those plans were developed to reach out and be of benefit to the larger society and asked for help of the First Lady to make them come to fruition.

His Lordship Francis Anani Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church in a sermon admonished parents for pampering their children as a result of which many youth take life as without any trials.

He said nothing is gained without 'perspiring' and that while in the past many adults of today had to walk several miles to school everyday but made it, some children of today fail to make full advantage of schools around them.

Bishop Lodonu observed that the accounts of unnecessary maltreatments meted out to people, being recounted at the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) hearings, may represent torments of the past that probably led us on to the present tranquillity in the country.

He said the sufferings of the past had a cleansing effect on the country and called on all to learn to forgive.

Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, who represented the First Lady announced that she had donated 5 million cedis to the Choir.

The Choir was founded in 1928, after 20 years of the commencement of activities by the Roman Catholic Church in the Ho-Bankoe Parish.

The Choir presented gifts to Mrs Kufuor, Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of the Ho-Asogli state and awarded certificates to some past and present members of the Choir for their dedicated services.