2019 Akwantukese Festival to be used to implement root-based economic development model

The chiefs and people of the New Juaben Traditional Area will use this year’s celebration of the Akwantukese Festival to initiate and sustain implementation of the award-winning Root-based Economic Development (r-BED) Model, which was propounded by the Omanhene of the area Daasebre Oti Boateng and have been hailed across the globe.

This was announced by the Omanhene of the Traditional area Daasebre Oti Boateng at the mini durbar of chiefs and people of the area to mark Akwasidae at Koforidua over the weekend.

This year’s Akwantukese Festival of the people of the New Juaben Traditional area of the Eastern Region would be held from October 6 to November 23, 2019.

He said the decision was taken at the Traditional Council’s meeting held at the Omanhene’s Palace on Friday, July 12, 2019

The Akwantukese Festival is celebrated by the people of New Juaben traditional area to mark the great migration of the people from Juaben in the Ashanti Region.

The (r-BED) Model is aimed at building sustainable community development through the reduction of poverty, the provision of basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, health and education and more importantly the involvement of the active citizenship in their own development.

Daasebre Oti Boateng noted that the Traditional Council has agreed that each community within the Traditional Area will establish a Community Economic Development and Investment (CEDI) Council, which will be run on sound business lines to generate employment and create wealth to advance the economic development of the communities.

“A Traditional Area Fiscal and Economic Development (TRAFED) Council will be established to coordinate the activities of the CEDI Councils.” He added.

He explained that the CEDI Councils together with their TRAFED Council will form a robust foundation, upon which the superstructure of community development governance in New Juaben Traditional Area, encompassing it’s communicative and operative impact, will rest.

The Omanhene’s ideology of Root-based Economic Development (r-BED) Model, which forms part of his book Development in Unity and has been lauded at the London and New York book fairs, is believed to provide a useful basis to replicate it, not only in New Juaben Traditional Area but also in other Traditional Areas throughout the country.’