Promote peace in Manya Krobo for development - President advises residents at Ngmayem Festival

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the Krobo area and all other parts of the country need peace and tranquility to promote socio-economic development.

He has, therefore, urged chiefs, the clergy, opinion leaders and all other stakeholders, especially the youth, to ensure they promoted peace in the area.

He said development could not thrive in an area where there was no peace, saying: “That is why I am stressing on peace, which promotes development.

“The government is doing its best for the socio-economic development of the Lower Manya Krobo municipality to improve the lot of the people and to achieve the desired development we are expecting. More development projects and programmes are in the offing and all the government requires from you is your support,” the President stated.

Projects

In a speech read on his behalf by the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Simon Kweku Tetteh, at this year’s Ngmayem Festival of the people of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area at Odumase-Krobo last Friday, the President said the municipality was a beneficiary of numerous government programmes and projects, all aimed at uplifting the standards of the people and also to bridge the infrastructural gap in the municipality.

The Ngmayem Festival, which depicts the abundance of food, is celebrated annually by the Manya Krobo Traditional Area in the last week of October.

This year’s festival, on the theme “A Time for togetherness”, was graced by former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, a native of the area, the Member of Parliament for Upper Manya Krobo Constituency, Bismark Tetteh Nyarko, and chiefs from other traditional areas, among others.

The President stated that 42 projects, most of which were the construction of a number of classroom blocks, the Lower Manya Krobo Education Office for the education directorate and sanitary facilities, had all been completed and handed over to the respective users.

He said there were 12 other projects ongoing, which would be completed soon, adding: “This is why you need to applaud the current government to do more for you.”

Cultural heritage

President Akufo-Addo commended the Manya Krobo Traditional Area for maintaining and safeguarding its cultural heritage, adding: “Indeed, Manya Krobo is one of the traditional areas in the country that has great cultural attributions.”

He said it was needless to say that its tremendous efforts and achievements to date had been greatly influenced by the culture of kindness, hard work, self-determination, unity, common purpose, as well as their arts, music and firm traditional values.

The MCE for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Tetteh, made a cash donation and some drinks on behalf of the President to support the traditional council in organising the festival.

The Konor of Manya Krobo, Nene Sakite II, said he was unhappy about the circumstances that led to the fracas during the installation of prepaid metres in the Kroboland.

He, however, prayed against anything untoward that would cause any disturbances again.

“We have all seen the trouble that we went through during the light off. I will want everybody to learn a lesson from the consequences and avoid trouble, since most of us are used to its usage now,” the Konor advised.

Oterkporlu bridge

Nene Sakite, who is also the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, expressed his disapproval about the state of the Oterkporlu bridge, which links Odumase-Krobo to Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District and other communities in the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area.

He expressed worry that although his predecessor initiated the construction and commissioning of the bridge, it was taking too long for the work to be completed, urging the contractor to speed up work on the it.

“Mr President, I want to make a special appeal to you to prompt the contractor that is working on the Oterkporlu bridge to double up before it is too late. Much of our foodstuffs from Upper Manya and beyond are brought to us using that route and you can just imagine if one day, vehicles cannot ply that route,” he said.

The Konor assured the President that the theme for this year’s festival pointed to the fact that they would cooperate with each other in the traditional area and there was no cause for alarm.

A Chief from the Kwahu Traditional Area, Nana Ofori Mireku I, who represented the Vice-President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Dasebre Akuamoah Adijapong II, said chieftaincy had become more of a responsibility than privilege, as chiefs had now been saddled with numerous responsibilities.

He called on all other chiefs in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area to support the Konor for development.