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Children in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam (AEE) district have appealed to the government and the National Youth Council to speed up the promulgation of the youth policy to serve as a guide towards the development of children in the country. "We children need proper guidance and direction to continue with the foundations laid down by our parents into the future." This was contained in a welcome address delivered by Mr Ronald Kofi Yanney, a youth who acted as the Presiding Member of the District Assembly, at the first ever youth mock assembly session held at Ajumako. The programme which is used by children to voice out their problems and grievances in the central region, was organized by the National Youth Council in collaboration with the district assembly. The children aged between 10 and 18 years, were drawn from Basic, Senior High and immediate past school levers in the district. According to Mr Yanney, the youth in the district have a bright future if only the Assembly would let their welfare be the first priority and adopt a pragmatic approach towards their development. Mr Emmanuel Segoe, a youth who also acted as the District Chief Executive, appealed to members of the assembly to put their political affiliations aside, and forge ahead as one people with a common destiny in the interest of the District. Speaking on "Adolescent Reproductive Health Issues", Mr Segoe said teenage pregnancy is one of the major health problems facing adolescents and, for that matter, the youth in the country with the central region recoding the highest. He said records gathered at the district directorate of the Ghana Health Service revealed that in 2005 the district recorded 621 teenage pregnancies which reduced to 151 in 2006. Mr Segoe said the number rose to 701 in 2007, and went up again to 709 in 2008, adding that adolescents between 10 and 17 years were the victims. He therefore appealed to the Assembly, traditional rulers and opinion leaders to team up and find a lasting solution to the problem of teenage pregnancy among adolescents, else the situation could lead to an increase in social polarization, conflict and the degeneration of the living standards of people in the area.