Mr Edem Francis Norgbedzi, Coordinator of the Volta Region Students Representative Council (SRC), on Saturday expressed his concern over the unwillingness of political and religious leaders in the region to support the activities of the Volta Region Students Association-Ghana (VORSAG). He alleged that despite the efforts of the Association to help raise the standard of education in the region, stakeholders and opinion leaders remained adamant and un-supportive to the association. Mr Norgbedzi said this at a ceremony to swear in new executives of the association for the 2007/2008 academic year at Ho. He observed that leaders of the region many at times turned down invitations from the Association to grace its activities. Mr Norgbedzi described the situation as unfortunate, which does not encourage the youth in the region to support the socio-economic development of the area. He said but for the unflinching support of Major Courage Quashigah (retired), Minister of Health and a few others, the Association, which has laudable objectives, would have collapsed. Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, a Former President of the association, who chaired the ceremony due to the absence of all invited guests including Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister and Mr Mawutor Goh, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, said it was regrettable to note that some people were associating VORSAG with some political parties. He stressed that the Association remained a non-political, religious and ethnical grouping, and that it is an independent union with the sole aim of developing education in the region and sharpening the leadership skills of the youth. " I am therefore appealing to those who have been reading Pull Him Down (PHD) for us by linking us to the NPP and NDC to desist from that", Mr Gemegah said. Mr Voice Tozo Kokoroko, immediate past President of the Association mentioned low patronage and finance as some of the major challenges retarding the Association's effort at promoting quality education in the region. He said not withstanding the challenges, it was able to organize voluntary teaching exercise for members throughout the region and held inter-schools " catch them young" quiz competition for all second cycle schools in the region. Mr Norgbedzi later swore in the eleven member executives under the chairmanship of Mr Prosper Dzumador of the University of Education, Mampong Campus to run the Association. He urged the new executives to work as a team with commitment and much dedication to keep the Association vibrant as a major stakeholder in the region's education. Mr Dzumador on behalf of his colleagues expressed their gratitude to the members for the confidence reposed in them and promised to deliver to the satisfaction of all. GNA