First Lady urges Nyanyano and Kokrobite to settle dispute

Gomoa Nyanyano (C/R), Oct. 13, GNA - The First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, has called on the people of Gomoa Nyanyano in the Central Region and Kokrobite in the Greater Accra to find an amicable solution to their boundary dispute.

She noted that the people need development and said the nation could not waste resources on conflict resolution, adding that, past experience should serve as a lesson for Ghanaians to live in peace with their neighbours.

Mrs Kufuor was addressing a durbar of the Chiefs and people of Nyanyano to mark their annual Akwambo Festival at the weekend. The festival, which was celebrated jointly by the two Asafo companies of the town for the first time in 30 years, was under the theme, "Peace Unity and Development".

Due to misunderstanding between the Asafo companies, the festival had hitherto been celebrated on a Tuesday by the Tuafo (No. 1) Asafo company while the Dentsifo (No. 2) Asafo company marked it on Wednesday. Following a resolution of the dispute by the Chiefs, the two Asafo celebrated the festival together this year.

Mrs Kufuor who is Nkosuohemaa (Development Queen) of the town under the stool name Nana Aba Esuon II urged the youth to take the anti-HIV/AIDS campaign seriously since the disease has become a major development issue.

"Precious lives and valuable manpower needed to develop our country are being lost to this dreadful disease," Mrs Kufuor said. She expressed gratitude to the chiefs for releasing a plot of land to the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation, an NGO of which she is a patron for the construction of an Early Childhood Development Centre.

Mr Kwamina Bartels, Minister for Private Sector Development, said the theme for the festival was in line with the vision of Ghanaians, adding that, "it is only when there is peace and stability that the nation can develop".

He urged Ghanaians to advise those who would want to bring confusion and civil war into the country to stop since bullets could not differentiate an NPP member from a CPP or an NDC sympathiser.

The Minister assured the people that the town would be provided with pipe-borne water from the Weija Water Head Works to solve their perennial water problem.

Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, expressed concern about the poor loan recovery by women under the poverty reduction programme, saying, they must repay for others to benefit.

She cautioned parents against giving out their children for fishing expedition on the Volta Lake, especially around Yeji and to encourage them to go to school since the Ministry would not tolerate child labour in any form.

Miss Joyce Aidoo, Gomoa District Chiefs Executive (DCE), expressed concern about the poor performance of pupils in the area in the last Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Seven schools in the district scored zero per cent.

She attributed the poor performance to absenteeism and lateness to school on the part of both teachers and pupils and said she would be paying unannounced visits to schools and any teacher found late or absent would be sanctioned.

Nana Obeng Wiabo V, Chief of the town, appealed to the government to ensure regular flow of water to the area and to rehabilitate the road from the town to Kasoa.

He advised the people to use the peaceful atmosphere in the town to accelerate development.