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President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday called for self-denial among functionaries of the government, especially the country�s new envoys. He said since the country was facing very critical challenges, it was incumbent on all functionaries to sacrifice their comfort and work hard to improve the quality of life of the people. President Mills said this when he presented the Letters of Commission to six new envoys at the Castle, Osu, in Accra yesterday. They were Alhaji Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara for Nigeria; Mr Lee Ocran, South Africa; Dr Richard Benjamin Turkson, Canada; Mr Samuel Vallis Akyianu, Serbia and Mrs. Aanaa Naamua Enin, the Netherlands. According to President Mills, his call on functionaries to lead modest lifestyle would engineer and sustain public confidence in the government and compel the people to contribute their quota towards the national reconstruction efforts. He questioned how the public would feel about the government if functionaries were seen living flamboyant lifestyles and neglecting the needs of the broad masses of the people. President Mills reminded the envoys that the government was in power for the simple reason that the people of Ghana voted for them to improve their lot and not to enrich themselves at the expense of the people. He said since the government would go back to the electorate for the renewal of its mandate in 2012, functionaries should do well to always put the people�s interest first. President Mills enjoined the envoys to encourage investors in countries they had been accredited to invest in Ghana to create employment opportunities for the people, especially the youth. Mrs. Enin, who spoke on behalf of the envoys, expressed their determination to work hard to justify their appointments. Present at the ceremony was Mr James Victor Gbeho, a Presidential Aide, who admonished the envoys to discharge their new responsibilities with diligence and humility.