Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior Presidential Adviser, has indicated that natural resources alone cannot spur the growth and development of Ghana, but good character and patriotism are necessary. He said, 'all over the world, countries with little or no natural resources are doing excellently well because they have stuck to discipline, good work ethics and patriotism which are very essential in nation building.' Mr Osafo-Maafo was speaking at 'The Pledge; Making the National Pledge a National Reality,' put together by the Boys' and Girls' Brigade of the Freeman Methodist Church in Kwesimintsim. The project on the Pledge is to help both the current and older generation to make an introspective and retrospective considerations on the content of the nationals emblems and songs and really live in the promises espoused in them to reflect on the fortunes of the country. Mr Osafo-Maafo wondered why Ghanaians heartlessly smuggled cocoa, and other state natural resources to other countries to sell at cheaper rates, go to work late or even refuse to go at all on rainy days, adding, 'in Germany, when the rains fall in the morning and work is delayed, everyone automatically stay on to do extra duty to compensate for the morning loss…this is growth idea.' He wondered why 'Ghanaians still perceived state companies as the remnant of colonialism and so continued to handle work with some relaxed mentality…it is about time we came to self realisation that nobody would build our country but us…teach the Pledge with meaning and understanding to the current generation so that the words in them could be actualized.' He also tasked the churches to psych the mentally of the Ghanaian to give off their best. Mr. Justice Yaw Ennin, the Western Regional Director of the NCCE, described the Pledge as an official undertaken by all Ghanaians to uphold the integrity, sovereignty and patriotism of state and queried why these things seemed to be missing. He urged people to stop demanding monies from politicians as it was a major contributor to socio-economic burden on the country…'stop selling your conscious and rights for monies.' Lieutenant Col. Bondah, the Commanding Officer for the 2BN at Apremdo, said the new emerging oppressors rule was not from the colonialists but the Ghanaian attitude towards each other. He said society was gradually losing focus on good virtue and tasked the church to make the positive change happened for the younger generation. The Right Reverend Emmanuel Kwesi Ansah, the Bishop of the Sekondi Diocese of the Methodist Church, said what was left for the country was to build on the heritage left to us by the forefathers to avert the degeneration of the resources of the nation. Source: Ghana News Agency