Many churches in the Tamale Metropolis on Monday held midnight church services to usher in the New Year 2019 with a call on citizens to change their attitudes towards work to enhance sustainable development.

Some of the churches the GNA visited in the Metropolis were filled to capacity, singing praises to God for guiding and protecting them throughout 2018 and prayed for long life and prosperity and unity among Ghanaians.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in separate interviews before delivering their sermons, some of the pastors stressed the importance of hard work and the zeal to work to promote development.

Reverend Vincent Dagadu, the Presbytery Moderator of Upper Northern Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P) Church advised parents to see 2019 as a year of reformation and perform their responsibilities by impacting good moral behaviours on their children to help go a long way to improve on the human capital of the nation.

 "A parent who does not play his or her role very well on their children would amount to the children becoming irresponsible and a burden to the society," he said.

Reverend Dagadu advised the media to exhibit high professional ethics and focus on development reporting in 2019 and beyond, which would not only unite the nation but would spur the people on to work harder other than allowing political influence.

"The media too must avoid combining their professional work with political influences and do their work diligently without fear or favour," he said.

He urged journalists to stop the use of misleading headlines on their platforms to attract a larger audience, but rather report on real issues affecting the country's socio-economic development.

Reverend Dagadu also advised religious leaders to desist from the habit of using the ignorance of their followers to take advantage of collecting money from them as religious leaders were mandated to educate, guide and protect members of their beliefs and not to use the word of God at the expense of the people to generate wealth.

Reverend Joshua Wuntimah Salifu Mogre, the Head Pastor of the Perez Chapel International- Kings Temple, Kukuo Branch entreated all Ghanaians to see 2019 as the year of growth and increase and work hard to ensure prosperity and stability for improved economic gains in the country.

"As we step into the New Year, we must remember that things would only change, if we do things differently and become better persons than we were," he said.

He called on the youth to see 2019 as a year to take decisions for their lives in the right direction in order to ensure that their future was better.

 "Most often, we have many young people who are pushing their energies at the wrong direction, but 2019 should be a period that young people should take and make decisions towards their old age to prepare for a life worth living, " he said.