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The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG), Commodore Steve Obimpeh (retd), has urged retired Ghanaian soldiers to contribute to national development by using their skills and expertise in areas that will make the country take informed decisions in its drive to progress. He said the veterans had more to offer than committing themselves only to jobs in security. He challenged them to enter into ventures such as becoming Members of Parliament where their experiences could be tapped to shape national discourse. Commodore Obimpeh was addressing the veterans in Kumasi at the start of a three-day national conference of the association. It was the first national conference to be held since the enactment of the Veterans Administration Act (844, 2012). The Act is to give the veterans a voice. It also gives indication of benefits that accrue to them after their service to the country. The conference was on the theme, �Enhancing the status and revenue earning capacity of VAG.� The conference had the objective of developing policies and strategies that would promote the welfare of the veterans and their spouses. Other areas the conference explored included taking a look at its organisational structure, biometric registration of members, as well as funding and income generation strategies. The Executive Director of VAG, Col Chris Nutakor (retd), said considering that in the Ghana Armed Forces one could retire even at 45 years, it was pertinent that the government found a way to engage retirees who still had about 15 active years to offer their expertise and skills in the service of the country. He stated that the association had undertaken many development projects to secure the welfare of its members. The projects, he said, included a multipurpose auditorium, a sports complex and a medical research centre which would be turned into a hospital for the veterans, as well as a block factory at Amasaman. He announced that Remembrance Day, scheduled for November this year would be celebrated in �grand style� because it marked the 100th year since the start of the First World War. The Conference was opened by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong.