Omanhene calls for support for development

The chiefs and people of Drobo Traditional Area have celebrated their annual Munufie Kese festival and marked the 20th anniversary of the enstoolment of Drobomanhene, Beyeeman Dosea Gyinantwi IV.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service to round off the festivities, Beyeeman Gynantwi urged the people to patronise the educational endowment fund and health insurance scheme launched by the people recently.

He expressed regret that there were many brilliant children, especially girls, who were not able to continue their education because their parents could not afford and said the education endowment fund was the surest way to empower the people and promote development.

He said a committee that had been set up under the chairmanship of Professor Kwame Tuah, former Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi would not discriminate in the disbursement of the fund and urged all to contribute generously to it.

Beyeeman Gyinantwi and Yaa Ansuaa, Queenmother of the traditional area, donated 10 million cedis to the fund while the chiefs and elders contributed 40 million cedis to the fund.

The Omanhene appealed to the people to patronise the Jaman South Health Insurance Scheme, which he said, was the surest bet to meet their health needs.

The Reverend Dr Kwame Amoah-Kumah, Brong Ahafo Presbytery Chairman of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, in his sermon, expressed dismay at the poor education standards in the Jaman district.

"It is unfortunate to note that education is not very much embraced in the area. Results of even BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) is not the best, and may I call on all to set all eyes on educating the young ones, who are the future builders of your state."

Rev Amoah-Kuma, therefore, called on the chiefs and people of the area to come together and explore the possibility of offering their children the opportunity to raise their horizon and explore opportunities in life.

"True and effective socio-economic development begins with harnessing the potentials of the people to create awareness for meaningful development."

He stressed the importance of unity and the need to avoid backbiting, squabbles and gossiping and to concentrate rather on supporting policies and programmes that would help empower the youth, poor, oppressed and marginalised in society to achieve progress and sustainable socio-economic development.

"Come let us build together, aware of how some people live it calls to reason that we shall all unite to help people repair their broken lives, broken homes, broken marriages and broken walls of life.

"Let us leave all the negative tendencies of our lives and forge ahead to achieve positive and pragmatic ways of developing our state," he said.

Mr Johnson E. Amankona, the first Agricultural Extension Officer to be posted to the Jaman District, called on parents to ensure the proper upbringing of their children to enable them to contribute more effectively to the development of society.

He also advised the chiefs and people to spend less on funerals and other functions, saying they should devote the greater part of their resources to the education of their children.

An appeal for funds in aid of the Educational Endowment Fund yielded 55.6 million cedis