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(1) Ghana shall be a democratic state dedicated to the realization of freedom and justice; and accordingly, sovereignty resides in the people of Ghana from whom Government derives all its powers and authority through this Constitution. (2) The State shall protect and safeguard the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ghana, and shall seek the well being of all her citizens. (3) The State shall promote just and reasonable access by all citizens to public facilities and services in accordance with law. (4) The State shall cultivate among all Ghanaians respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms and the dignity of the human person. (5) The State shall actively promote the integration of the peoples of Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed or other beliefs. (6) Towards the achievement of the objectives stated in clause (5) of this article, the State shall take appropriate measures to - (a) foster a spirit of loyalty to Ghana that overrides sectional, ethnic and other loyalties; (b) achieve reasonable regional and gender balance in recruitment and appointment to public offices; (c) provide adequate facilities for, and encourage, free mobility of people, goods and services throughout Ghana; (d) make democracy a reality by decentralizing the administrative and financial machinery of government to the regions and districts and by affording all possible opportunities to the people to participate in decision-making at every level in national life and in government; and (e) ensure that whenever practicable, the headquarters of a Government or public institution offering any service is situated in an area within any region, taking into account the resources and potentials of the region and the area. (7) As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Governments. (8) The State shall take steps to eradicate corrupt practices and the abuse of power. (9) The state shall promote among the people of Ghana the culture of political tolerance.