It's not enough to celebrate the greatness in others -JAK

Anomabu (C/R), Feb. 24, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has admonished the country's youth to let the lives of celebrated national heroes inspire them to achieve greater feats.

"It is not enough to celebrate the greatness in others. We must take useful lessons from their lives."

President Kufuor was addressing a colourful durbar held by the Anomabu Traditional Council to unveil the busts of three illustrious sons of the area and honour their memory for the significant role they played in Ghana's political history.

They are Dr James Emmanuel Kwegyir Aggrey, the legendry educationist and philosopher, Mr George Ekem Furgesson whose exploration, political and diplomatic treaty achievements added many Northern territories to the country and Nana Amonoo Kantamanto IV, Chief of Anomabu one of the signatories to the Bond of 1844.

It was part of the area's celebration of Ghana's 50 years of nationhood. President Kufuor congratulated the chiefs and people of the area for that singular initiative, which he said would surely engender in the youth a sense of history and a desire to be of service to their country in the hope of being honoured some day.

"I urge the youth to take note of what is happening today. You have access to opportunities that your forefathers could not dream about.

"You have a responsibility to make maximum use of them. Study the history of not only your traditional area but also the past of your country Ghana."

He told them to work hard, bearing in mind that if their forbears could make it they too could do the same.

President Kufuor said it would have been surprising if Anomabu with so much history behind it did not participate actively in the Jubilee Celebration.

He noted that this ancient town has longer memory than most of the towns in the country, referring to its attraction to early seafarers who came on the shores of the country more than 500 years ago and their eventual construction of a Castle in the town for trade, which degenerated into slave trade. Through that same Castle, others arrived to evangelise and to extend formal education and in the course of time Anomabu, alongside other coastal towns became signatory to the Bond of 1844, something that historically promoted the bridgehead of the colonisation of the entire territory.

President Kufuor used the occasion to call on the chiefs and people to continue to support the Government in the implementation of its policies to benefit the entire society.

Nana Kantamanto Amonu XI, the Omanhene of the area, said the durbar was to bring home the significant contribution of Anomabu to the socio-economic and political history of Ghana.