Correspondence from Eastern Region

The Shai and Osudoku Traditional Councils in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region have each received a brand new bus from the Member of Parliament (MP) and Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, to enhance the efficiency of traditional governance and community development within the area.

The presentation took place during this year’s Ngmayem Festival, celebrated at Dodowa under the theme “Protecting Our Environment through Culture and Tradition.”

Speaking during the ceremony, Ocloo said the donation fulfilled a promise she made during the previous year’s festival.

“During last year’s celebration, I pledged to provide a vehicle to support the chiefs’ work. But because we have two traditional councils in the Shai-Osudoku area, I committed to providing one for each. I promised that if you voted for us in the 2024 elections and I won, I would make sure both councils received theirs, and I am proud to honour that promise today,” she stated.

Enhancing traditional administration

The new buses are expected to significantly improve the administrative operations of the two councils, which for years have functioned without dedicated means of transport.

This limitation had hampered their ability to effectively execute key responsibilities such as supervising communities, attending regional and national engagements, and participating in important cultural and traditional events.

The vehicles will strengthen their ability to attend official meetings at the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs and facilitate regular monitoring of developmental projects across their jurisdictions.

They will also support traditional and ceremonial duties, including festivals, funerals, and cultural preservation activities, ensuring that local customs are promoted and represented with dignity.



Beyond administration, the vehicles are also expected to play a vital role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Chiefs and elders frequently mediate disputes across several communities, and a lack of transport has often delayed interventions.

The new vehicles, therefore, mark a step forward in promoting peace and unity within the traditional areas.

Commitment to development

In her keynote address at the Ngmayem Festival, the lawmaker highlighted major development initiatives being implemented across the district.

These include improvements in education, healthcare, markets, roads, electrification, and job creation.

In the education sector, she announced ongoing construction of two-storey dormitory blocks at Ghana Senior High School and Osudoku SHTS to provide safe accommodation for female
students.

New six-unit classroom blocks with toilet facilities are also underway in Klebusey, Nyapienya, and Lawekope, alongside teachers’ quarters at Humpa and Shai Hills.

On healthcare, she revealed that sod-cutting would soon take place for a new Nursing Training School in Doryumu, which will strengthen health education and professional training in the area.

She also announced that the Doryumu Market was completed and would soon be commissioned, providing traders with a modern, secure space for business and stimulating local economic activity.

Road infrastructure remains another major priority under the “Big Push Project,” with several
key routes under construction, including Dodowa–Afienya–Dawhenya, Adenta–Dodowa–Somanya, and Shai Hills–Doryumu–Dodowa–Ashaiman–Asutuare.

Rehabilitation works are also ongoing on multiple feeder roads within the district to improve
accessibility and connectivity.

Powering communities and creating jobs

The regional minister reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring full electrification of the district, noting that formal requests had been submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition for unconnected communities.

She also emphasized her efforts in facilitating employment for local residents in national institutions such as the Ghana Education Service, National Security, NADMO, DVLA, and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

A call for environmental stewardship

Reflecting on the festival’s theme, Ocloo reminded the gathering that environmental protection is a shared responsibility anchored in cultural wisdom. “Our ancestors cherished the land, rivers, and forests as divine gifts.

If we fail to protect them, we endanger our own existence. But if we care for them, we ensure a better future for generations to come,” she said.

She urged residents to plant trees, keep their communities clean, and avoid polluting water
bodies.

“Let’s celebrate with peace, unity, and gratitude. May this festival inspire us to love one another, preserve our culture, and protect the land that sustains us,” she concluded.

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