President John Agyekum Kufuor, on Saturday urged all Ghanaians to exercise restraint and support efforts by the government to ensure that the nation derived the desired benefits from her natural resources such as oil and gas, adding that “there are good times ahead”. He said it was therefore imperative to exercise restraint and refrain from acts that would derail the peaceful atmosphere in the country because of different political affiliations, and reiterated that political opponents were not enemies. President Kufuor, dressed resplendently in a Kente cloth, made the call when he addressed a colourful durbar of chiefs and people of the Oguaa traditional area, to climax activities marking the celebration of this year’s Fetu Afahye. Equally resplendently dressed in Kente and accompanying the President were the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes and the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur. Also present, were the flag-bearers of the NDC and CPP, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom respectively. The running mate for the NPP flag-bearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was also present. The President said Ghana belonged to God, and was happy that unlike events in some countries, there was peace and tolerance amongst people of different religious persuasions. He said there was the need for all to help ensure peace, good governance and to exhibit patriotism. He observed that politics was just about the expression of divergent views and cautioned politicians against the use of inflammatory language and threats to cause chaos or mayhem if one loses the election, stressing that “not winning an election is not the end of the world”. President Kufuor, who told the people that he was in the region and in Cape Coast in particular to join in the celebration of the festival for the last time as a sitting President, echoed earlier concerns expressed by the Oguaahene, about the falling standards of education in the Cape Coast metropolis. He told parents that there was the need for them to work hard to help address the situation, by taking advantage of government interventions to improve education, since cape Coast had a “big history” as the cradle of education, and pointed out that parents do not have to be rich before sending their children to school. He mentioned the upgrading of some teacher training colleges to facilitate quality teaching, in line with the educational reform programme as well as the benefits of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). President Kufuor especially enumerated some infrastructural development in the region, such as the construction of roads, expansion of electricity and water supply systems at Baifikrom and Sekyere-Hemang, and tasked the people to tap its potentials. On the forthcoming election, he urged Ghanaians to vote for politicians who have the welfare of the nation at heart and not those who inflame passions. In his welcoming address, the Oguaahene, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, expressed gratitude to President Kufuor for making good on his promises to provide the metropolis with a modern sports stadium, help in the construction of the School of Medical Sciences for the University of Cape Coast, and for plans to rehabilitate the Kotokoraba Market and for which funds have already been secured. He however appealed to him to help ensure that he makes provision for the dredging and the restoration of the Fosu Lagoon, before leaving office. The Omanhene expressed concern about the falling standards of education in the metropolis, and the lack of employment avenues for the youth. He announced that to help promote investment, the traditional council was collaborating with agencies like the Lands Commission to help create land banks to facilitate easy land accessibility for investors, and appealed to investors to take advantage of the package. He appealed to parents to ensure that their children studied hard to enable them gain admission to the senior high schools in the township, which he said were mostly filled with students from outside the region. Osabarima Atta echoed calls on politicians and their supporters to help ensure peace in the country, and refrain from acts that will cause mayhem. President Kufuor presented drinks comprising a carton of schnapps and 10 crates each of beer, Guinness and soft drinks, and GH¢5,000.00. Dr Bawumia, on behalf of the NPP flag-bearer, presented a carton of schnapps and GH¢2,000.00 to the traditional council to support the celebration of the festival. NDC flag-bearer, Prof Atta Mills had on Friday presented a carton of schnapps and other assorted drinks and GH¢1,000.00 while the CPP flag-bearer also made a similar presentation of assorted drinks, a cow, some plantain and GH¢500.00 to the council. Source: GNA