Fiapre gets new chief

The Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, 47, has been enstooled as the new chief of Fiapre.

He swore the oath of allegiance to the chiefs and people of the town under the stool name, Oberempon (Prof) Kyem Amponsah II, while his elders in turn pledged allegiance to him promising to respond to his call whenever they were asked to do so.

At a well-attended installation durbar, both the youth and the aged showed their approval of the enstoolment of the new chief through drumming, singing and dancing.

After the enstoolment rites, Oberempon Amponsah II was carried on the shoulders of members of the Bofrease Royal Family of Fiapre and paraded through some principal streets of the town.

Oberempon Amponsah II, who succeeded the late Nana Poku Ababio who died last year, is the 16th occupant of the Fiapre Stool.

Fiapre town

The hitherto small Fiapre town, near Sunyani, is currently expanding very fast and busting with a lot of activities.

It is gradually becoming the citadel of tertiary education in the Brong Ahafo Region because of the siting of the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in the town.

With the presence of students from these two vibrant universities, economic activities are booming with some of the business outlets in Sunyani opening their branches in the town.

Fiapre does not traditionally owe allegiance to any paramountcy and thus prides itself as “Fiapre Republic”, even though it collaborates with nearby towns.

It is a fast-expanding town, which is now located administratively in the Sunyani West District.

Vision and appreciation

Speaking during the installation ceremony, Oberempong Amponsah II said his main preoccupation would be to put in place measures to bait children in the town to follow his footprints and sour high within academia and other sectors of the economy.

He pledged to continue with the development agenda initiated by his predecessors and ensure that his reign would bring further development in all fields of endeavour.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani West and Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffuor-Awuah, commended the people in the town for peacefully nominating and installing a new chief.

He advised them to give Oberempon Amponsah II the needed wise counselling and support to enable him to be successful.

Profile

Oberempon (Prof.) Kyem Amponsah II, who was born on May 5, 1970, attended the Rapid Preparatory School in Sunyani and had his Middle School Leaving Certificate (MSLC) at the Fiapre Presbyterian Middle School.

He enrolled at the Twene Amanfo Secondary School in Sunyani but later relocated to the St Augustines’s College, Cape Coast where he obtained his General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level Certificate in June 1989 and GCE Advanced Level Certificate in 1991.

He later entered the University of Ghana, Legon where he pursued his first degree at the Faculty of Science in September 1992. Oberempon Amponsah II did his national service as a teaching assistant at the university at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science in June 1996.

Oberempon Amponsah II was awarded a scholarship by the University of Ghana after his national service to pursue his Master’s degree at the same department in September 1997.
After working in various capacities for a while, he enrolled at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow in Scotland where he obtained his PhD in Food Science.

He also completed a postgraduate certificate in International Food Laws and Regulations from the Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA in December 2003 with an outstanding student award by the university.

In addition to working as a consultant for several reputable organisations in his chosen field, Oberempon (Prof.) Amponsah II is a world expert on Cocoa and Chocolate Processing Technology and serves as a consultant for many national and international organisations including Nestle International, Cargill Cocoa, Ghana Cocoa Board, the German Development Cooperation (GTZ), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), TechnoServe among others.