Gbeho exhorts Anlos to end sea defence wrangling

Dzita (V/R), April 23, GNA - Mr James Victor Gbeho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has appealed to people of the Anlo area to put behind them their past wrangling over anomalies associated with the execution of the Keta Sea Defence Project and move forward.

He was addressing three separate durbars of Anlo citizens on Holy Saturday, as special guest, at Dzita, Avume and Woe, all in the Anlo constituency of the Keta District.

It was organised by the respective town development associations to mobilise funds in support of community projects, mostly school buildings, and electrification.

The occasion also marked the homecoming of citizens living abroad to reunite with their kith and kin to take stock, plan for the future and celebrate their past achievements.

Mr Gbeho, a retired diplomat, whose appeal was short of an apology for what he termed mistakes associated with the project, called for the people's support for the government, saying it is poised to develop the area and rekindle the diminishing hopes and aspirations of the citizens, especially the youth.

"Our government, like any other government in the world, is a human institution and can make mistakes at one point or the other but what is more important now is our resolve to move ahead, mindful of the lessons of the past experience."

However, this could only be possible with a renewed commitment of the citizens as one people fighting for a common goal and their resolve to rally behind the government to execute development programmes and policies.

Mr Gbeho, himself an Anlo, told the people to use Easter, a period for commemorating Christ's death and resurrection for sins committed by mankind, as a turning point for forgiveness, hard work and to eschew divisive tendencies.

They should also remain alert against opposition politicians who, according to him, are bent on misinforming them about government policies just to win their votes.

He reminded them of some of their civic responsibilities, particularly their participation in the democratic process by ensuring that their names are in the voters register when it reopens next month.

The ceremony at Dzita was hampered by heavy clouds that brought down intermittent showers but was met with the determination of the people who came out in the rain to contribute their widow's mite to the town's 125 million-cedi electrification project as they danced to traditional agbadza drums.

They have so far purchased 150 wooden poles at a cost of 50 million cedis since the initiation of the project in 1998 and hope to acquire the remaining 100 poles by August.

At Woe, the occasion also marked the first public appearance of the newly installed chief of the town, Togbi Gbordzor III, in addition to raising money for Education and town electrification.

Mr Gbeho appealed to losing parties in the chieftaincy affair to put the past behind them and work together with the new chief. "All wrangling should cease. It is time to accord the new chief the needed recognition and respect," he declared.

Togbi Gbordzor, an engineer, pledged a personal contribution of streetlights and reflective road signs. At the Anlo Secondary School compound, venue for the Avume durbar, Mr Gbeho paid tribute to the people, mostly shallot farmers, for relentlessly braving the unfavourable weather to maintain their farms and invest the proceeds in the education of their wards.

He urged the youth to reciprocate the sacrifice of their parents by learning hard and avoiding acts that put further pressure on the limited resources of the community such as teenage pregnancy.

He said government is critically working around the current reversals suffered by the economy, which were caused by external pressures, and asked the people not to listen to lies being peddled by critics.