Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli cuts sod for the construction of culvert bridge at Teleku-Bokazo

The Paramount Chief of Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III has cut sod for the commencement of a 3m×3 cell box culvert bridge at Teleku-Bokazo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The project, which is expected to be completed December 2020, is being funded by the Teleku-Bokazo-Anwia Trust Fund and it is being executed by Estek Vision Ltd.

It is also expected to link the old settlement to the new settlement when completed.

This Trust Fund was established by the Adamus Resources Company in 2007 to be used to develop Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia when some parts of the two Communities' land were given to the company to mine.

According to the Chairman of the Trust Fund and the current Vice President of Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr. Mark Addo, the project is expected to cost the community a little below GHC800,000.

Speaking at the colourful sod-cutting ceremony amidst Coronavirus safety protocols, the Paramount Chief Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III expressed his happiness about the project and applauded the management of the Trust Fund for using some proceeds of the Fund for the project.

"I am so happy for this particular project and the one which pleases me most is that the management of the endowment fund is not using the real fund but they are using the profit of it to do such project and this fund will yield profit, profit and more profits so I am happy once again that those managing the endowment fund will help to see this project is completed on time", he stated.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III, took the opportunity, to rubbish some lies making round the Teleku-Bokazo Community and Ellembelle District as a whole that the managers of the fund had squandered the fund.

"Some people are roaming and peddling lies that the managers of the endowment fund have misapplied the fund but I know as the fact is that the main endowment fund is currently at the bank so everybody will be benefit from it".

He seized the opportunity to remind the Adamus Resources Company to continue to help the community to develop without relying on the endowment fund.

He emphasized that the endowment fund was only for the community and not for the company.

"I want to remind the Adamus Resources Company to continue to do their own part to develop the community because this endowment fund is not part of Adamus responsibility and it is solely for the community so if the Adamus has anything they should do it and not to rely on this fund", he told the company.

In conclusion, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III urged the residents to be about the project and embrace it and also called on them to continue to live in peace and support any developmental projects the Authority would intended to embark upon.

On his part, the Chief of Teleku-Bokazo, Nana Afful Kwaw II charged his people to rally behind any developmental project in the area and called on them to continue to repose confidence in him.

He, therefore, disclosed that the management of the Trust Fund had used part of it to provide safe and potable drinking water to the community and also given scholarship packages to deserving and brilliant but needy people in the area.

"...we have benefited from this fund, provision of safe water to the entire Community, scholarships, last year we gave scholarship packages to brilliant but needy people in this Community to further their education in the tertiary levels and this year we will do it again", he said.

The Chief charged the management of the fund to also prioritize apprenticeship program by training some residents who were willing to get skills be self-sufficient in future.

"I want to say it publicly for all my residents to hear that we are all concentrating on educational support too much so I want to appeal to the management of the Trust Fund to consider those who couldn't go to school and willing to learn trading to be given same support", he stressed.

He also called on the Adamus Resources Company to support the teeming youth who were willing to go into agriculture.

He revealed to the gathering that the Mineral Development Fund in the area was going to construct a two-unit classroom block with other ancillary for nursery in the area and pledged that the project starts next week.

"We will continue to support educational infrastructure, we have Mineral Development Fund and I am a member and we have agreed to build a two-unit classroom block with office and store and fence it for the nursery and we are starting next week", he stated.

He also assured his residents that God willing next year they would build ICT center for the community from the Trust Fund.

Nana Afful Kwaw II, took the opportunity to vow not to allow anybody to do galamsey in the area.

"I will not allow anybody to do galamsey and I will make sure nobody does it", he emphasized.

Mr. Mark Addo, the Chairman of the Trust Fund and the current Vice President of GFA, disclosed that in 2007 the Adamus Resources Company launched the fund, the then management put 10 million dollars in the fund and thanked that they had invested the fund to yield 60 million Ghana cedis currently.

He promised to continue to give scholarship packages to brilliant but needy tertiary students to complete their programmes.

On the bridge construction, he disclosed that it was the Chief of Teleku-Bokazo who came to them and appealed to them construct a bridge over the Bromma River to link the old settlement and new settlement.

He said the contractor had promised the Trustee and Advisory committee to complete the project before Christmas this year.

"...and the contractor has assured us that before Christmas this year he will complete the project so if God willing before Christmas you will see the bridge and the cost of it is a little below GHC800,000", he said.

He also said the contractor had pledged to hire an indigenous person to be the project coordinator to report daily to the Trustee and Advisory committee.

"This bridge is going to benefit all members of this Community so everybody should support the project because our aim is to let everybody to benefit from the fund", he emphasized.

He said the Trustee would consider the apprenticeship program for other residents.

"I want to say it here that your Chief here has not misapplied any money, the money is there and we will make sure the fund benefit all so Nana has spent your money", he reiterated.

He, therefore, took the opportunity, to urge the current the management of the Adamus Resources Company to continue with the company's commitment and support the Trust Fund.

On behalf of the Adamus Resources Company, Engineering Manager, Mr. Jeffrey Afari Iduu, thanked the community for embarking on such life changing project.

He promised that the company would continue to support the Teleku-Bokazo Community and Anwia Community as they had done before.

The sod-cutting ceremony brought other chiefs outside Teleku-Bokazo together and some Politicians namely; Nzema Akropong Chief, Nana Addo Kwaw, Ellembelle Member of Parliament, Ellembelle District Chief Executive, religious leaders, Assembly Members, the media among others.