Chiefs urged to engage in politics

Prang (B/A), Dec 4, GNA - Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, said at the weekend though chiefs are banned from active party politics, they still need to engage in it to lead their people to develop their communities.

He expressed regret that many people had misinterpreted the constitutional provision on the issue, "which means that chiefs cannot decorate themselves in any political party's paraphernalia, nor jump onto its platform to campaign for it".

Mr Adabre was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Prang Traditional Area to round off their annual Nkyifie yam festival.

"The provision of social amenities, including electricity, good health system, schools, and potable water is all politics," he said, and urged chiefs to continue to supplement government efforts for the accelerated development of their areas.

"Indeed, chiefs and elders have long been considered as development partners of government. District assemblies and their sub-district political members have benefited greatly from their counsel and other self-help projects and voluntary activities, largely organised through the initiatives of our chiefs".

Mr Adabre commended Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III, Omanhene of the area and President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, for his untiring efforts at opening up the area to the rest of the country.

He noted that under the initiative of the Omanhene, a district council of chiefs formed in the Atebubu District had been able to defuse tensions and resolved chieftaincy and land disputes in the area.

He entreated Nananom to encourage the youth and other agencies and companies to acquire sizeable arable land to undertake large-scale farming ventures to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.

"Luckily the government has introduced agricultural intervention programmes such as the Village Infrastructure Project (VIP), Roots and Tubers Improvement Programme (RTIP), and Sedentary Farming System (SFS) to improve and modernise agriculture.

"There are also qualified technical staff and extension officers who have the expertise and skills to assist with modern techniques in farming to increase production so that agriculture will be transferred into an attractive and rewarding enterprise,"

Mr Adabre urged an eight-member education and sanitation committee, which he inaugurated at the function, "to give priority to the establishment of an education endowment fund that would give special attention to the education of the girl-child".

He hoped that the committee would also work to ensure that the people strictly adhere to the sanitation rules and regulations to avoid the recurrence of cholera that claimed 10 lives in the area recently.

Nana Kwadwo Nyarko, also a Member of Council of State, commended the government for the continued peace in the country. He appealed to the people to avoid violent acts that could mar next week's general election "since all the parties have the same aim to develop the country".

Two Roman Catholic priests, Father Peter Brenya of Prang Parish and Father Savino Gyimah of Yeji Parish, were installed Nkosuohene and Sompahene, respectively, at the function.