Govt Will Develop Zongos � Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has given an assurance that the government will give a facelift to the Zongo communities in the country. He said one of the programmes the government would focus on was the construction of drainage systems and the improvement of the general sanitation situation in the Zongos. President Mahama gave the assurance at the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed (Maulid) organised by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, at Fadama in Accra on Saturday. Maulid is celebrated annually to commemorate Prophet Mohammed and admonish Muslims to emulate his sterling qualities of peace, tolerance, patience and forward looking. President Mahama said the Zongo communities lagged behind in terms of development, mainly due to the lack of secular education. He, therefore, stressed the need for the Zongo communities to invest in the education of their children. The President commended the people of the Zongo communities for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the December 7, 2012 election. He urged them to continue to exhibit that kind of peace and tolerance in all their dealings. President Mahama again praised the various religious denominations for co-existing peacefully in the country. He said such peaceful co-existence had ensured unity and discouraged discrimination among Ghanaians. On the Hajj, the President noted that there had been improvements in the organisation of the Hajj over the years in spite of some challenges. He said measures would be put in place to improve the situation. President Mahama said during his recent visit to Turkey, the Turkish authorities reiterated their commitment to fund the mosque complex at Kawokudi in Accra. In a speech read on his behalf, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Sharubutu, commended Ghanaians for exhibiting tolerance and togetherness which led to peaceful elections. He stressed the need for Ghanaians to continue to co-exist peacefully to ensure rapid development. Sheikh Sharubutu said Prophet Mohammed was the greatest man to have lived on earth, because of his sterling qualities of peace, tolerance and unity. He stressed the need for Muslims to emulate the examples of Prophet Mohammed to reflect the peace that Islam stood for.