Major Derek Oduro (rtd), Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, has urged Ghanaians to support the implementation of government policies and programmes to facilitate accelerated national growth. Delivering a New Year message at a meeting with some newsmen at Nkoranza during the weekend, the MP emphasized that national development was the collective responsibility of all and that Ghanaians needed to bury political differences to support the government realize that onerous goal. He attributed the current economic problems facing the country to the political transition as the government could not use the first year in office to remove existing bottlenecks it inherited. "Even though the global economic crunch has affected the country, Ghanaians need to exercise restraint whilst the government carries out its plans in addressing the challenges to alleviate their plight", the MP stated. He called on the government to listen to the "cries" of the people and work hard to improve its shortfalls that had brought extra hardship to the ordinary citizenry. The MP advised the youth of the various political parties not to allow partisan politics to divide them since that could adversely affect national growth. Major Oduro reminded the youth that as the future leaders of the country, they needed to unite and help develop the country for their own benefit. He cautioned them against alcoholism, drug abuse and pre-marital sex, adding:" take your education seriously so that you would become assets of the state". The MP entreated assembly members, unit committees and traditional authorities to organise the people to undertake self help projects in their communities to attract the support of the government and NGOs. He called on citizens of Nkoranza resident abroad to visit home regularly to support community projects. Source: GNA