Chief calls for overhaul of outmoded cultural practices

Osabarima Okoo Ababio II, Chief of Larteh and Benkumhene of Akwapim Traditional Area, has called for overhaul of cultural and traditional practices that are inimical to the socio-economic development of communities.

He said expensive funerals needed prompt reform spare bereaved families of the aftermath effects of indebtedness and hopelessness.

Osabarima Okoo Ababio said this at a durbar for Nana Kwadwo Asiakwah II, Omanhene of Nkonya-Wurupong, to signify the restoration of the area’s paramountcy. It was revoked after the overthrow of late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1966.

By restoring Nkonya-Wurupong to a paramountcy status, the Nkonya area now has two paramountcies, one under Nana Kofi Okoto III, with traditional headquarters at Nkonya-Ahenkro and Nana Kwadwo Asiakwa ruling from Nkonya-Wurupong.

The weeklong event was under the theme, “Enhancing Basic Education in Nkonya-Wurupong Traditional Area: A major key to unlocking the golden door of freedom.”

He said some of the fallouts from these expensive funerals usually resulted in the sale of family properties including large tracts of land to defray cost and mostly the inability to pay school fees of children.

Osabarima Okoo Ababio said the new status comes with responsibilities to the chiefs, elders and the people, adding that resources of the area should be harnessed for the good of the inhabitants.

Nana Kwadwo Asiakwah commended the major actors for the accomplishment of restoring the traditional area to its former status and appealed to the citizens to prepare for the task ahead.

He said education would be prioritised in the area in view of the continued abysmal performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level.

Nana Kwadwo Asiakwah appealed to the government to rehabilitate the community health post, extend the school feeding programme to the area to boost enrolment at the basic level to serve as a reservoir for the girl’s Senior High School being constructed in the area.

Nana Kofi Ampadu II, Kyidomhene of Nkonya-Wurupong, explained that Wurupong was given paramountcy status in 1960 but suffered injustice after the overthrow of Dr Nkrumah from 1966.

He said he believed the restoration would remove all inherent suspicion that had existed in the area paving the way for full scale mutual respect and unity for accelerated development.