Correspondence from Western Region

The Chiefs and people of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, under the distinguished patronage of His Royal Majesty Awulae Blay IX, Paramount Chief of the area, have climaxed their annual Kundum festival at a grand durbar with a call on traditional rulers and people in the area to foster peace and unity to spearhead the development of the area.

The week-long celebration was on the theme, "Preserving Our Heritage, Protecting Our Environment, United In Peace For Sustainable Development."

Speaking at the colorful event, which brought together almost all traditional rulers in the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area to the Atuabo Paramountcy, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, who was the guest of honour, stressed the need for traditional rulers to foster peace and unity to propel the rapid socio-economic development of Ellembelle.



He acknowledged that the 2025 Atuabo Kundum festival wasuniquee adding that "the unity of almost all the traditional rulers in Ellembelle who paid homage to the new Paramount Chief, testified that Ellembelle was charting a common path in peace and development."

Armah-Kofi Buah reminded the chiefs and people of the area that before the government would bring development to the area, peace and unity would be considered.

He stressed the need to preserve the Nzema culture, especially the Nzema language.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who doubles as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ag Minister of Environment Science and Technology, reiterated the need for traditional rulers to team up with the government to protect river bodies, forest reserves, and the land from wanton degradation by illegal mining activities popularly called galamsey.

"About 80% of the water we drink meanders through the forest, so destroying the forest and water bodies with toxic chemicals means we are all on the verge of dying."

The Minister said the government of President John Dramani Mahama did not abhor mining but cherished sustainable and responsible mining, which would not pollute river bodies with chemicals and degrade the land and forest reserves.

On steps taken so far, Armah-Kofi Buah said the Ministry had launched the responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP) at Teleku-Bokazo, which would be rolled out very soon as the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Minerals Commission embark upon sensitisation in the communities on how and where they could do mining without polluting river bodies and forest reserves.

The Minister warned that those who had vowed to do galamsey in the River Ankobra would be dealt with severely by the soldiers.

His Royal Majesty, Awulae Blay IX, the Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, who was earlier paraded through the principal streets of Atuabo for the first time, expressed gratitude to God Almighty, the chiefs, and people for the love, unity, and support he had witnessed since his enstoolment.



He said Ellembelle must rise above chieftaincy disputes and political differences and move ahead in development.

"Our resources must be directed at education at education, healthcare, infrastructure, and youth empowerment."

The Paramount Chief said, "Through the HRM Awulae Blay IX Foundation, we have begun supporting brilliant but needy students to ensure that every child in Ellembelle has the opportunity to learn and succeed."

He reminded chiefs and people of Ellembelle to see festivals as a time to renew their commitment to peace, good neighborliness, and development of the Paramountcy.

Awulae Blay IX said the theme for the occasion reminded the people of their collective responsibility to ensure a healthy and symbolic relationship with man and nature.

"Our heritage defines who we are. It is our language, our festivals, our respect for elders, and our deep sense of community. To preserve it means to uphold the values that have sustained us for generations."

Awulae Blay IX, who is also the President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, added that "the environment is part of that heritage; the rivers that give us water, the forests that provide medicine and food, the land that supports our farmers and the sea that sustains our fisher folks."

He acknowledged that "Ellembelle is blessed with rich natural resources such as gold, oil, gas, fertile lands and river, yet these blessings were turning into a curse because a few greedy ones have sworn to sacrifice our health and environment for money."

"Illegal mining known as galamsey is evil and must be stopped now before we all perish. What is the value of a billion dollars to a nation if its citizens are sick and dying from the poison of galamsey activities?"



"Our farmlands are being destroyed. Our forests are disappearing. Our rivers are polluted. I say this with pain in my heart. Ellembelke is fast becoming a hub of galamsey, and this cannot continue under my watch as the Paramount Chief and Overlord."

Awulae Blay IX entreated all chiefs and queen mothers in Ellembelle to join in the fight against galamsey to protect what was bequeathed to them by their ancestors.

Joseph Agyekum, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle, pleaded with chiefs and queen mothers to help the Assembly push the development of Ellembelle.

He said the NDC government had employed about 600 youth of Ellembelle in the last nine months.

Agyekum called for unity to allow investors and companies to invest in Ellembelle, reminding them that "with division, no company will invest in the area."

The DCE said galamsey was a clarion call and appealed to them to assist the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to clamp down on illegal miners.

Agyekum said all excavators at galamsey sites in Ellembelle have been removed.

He said the flagship responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP) will soon be rolled out at Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia, which is expected to employ 6,000 local people in the area.

Nana Nyamekeh Fofole, Chief of Ampain and a member of the Standing Committee, thanked all chiefs and queen mothers in Ellembelle who honoured the invitation to pay special homage to the new Paramount Chief.

According to him, the occasion was "unique as Ellembelle had pulled down the old garment for a new one."