Manya, Dorm Divisional chiefs call for accelerated development, unity in Krobo

Correspondence from Eastern Region Two Krobo Divisional Chiefs, Nene Okpatakpla Sasraku IV of Manya-Aklomuase and Nene Bediako Baah Muala III of Dorm in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area of the Eastern Region have called for unity and major development in the Krobo area. Nene Sasraku and Nene Muallah who were speaking at separate events during this year’s Ngmayem festival noted that unity and its resultant benefits of development were two of the most pressing needs of the people of Manya Krobo. Their calls come in the wake of recent acrimony in the community following the impasse with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over the deployment of prepaid meters to the area and various chieftaincy disputes which have sharply divided the people. Similarly, the lack of significant infrastructural development in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area remains a major concern for the people. Most of the roads in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area remain in a deteriorated state with construction works begun on 10km of town roads in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in 2018 for instance, being the first phase of roads promised by the Akufo-Addo government and supposed to have been completed in the government’s first term, abandoned. A 15km Trom-Kpong asphalt highway begun by the Mahama administration has also been abandoned since 2017 with the completed portions also completely destroyed within two years of completion, leaving the area with badly deteriorated roads. Lamenting over the situation, Nene Baah Muala in his speech decried the horrible nature of Krobo roads. He said, “Our roads have been destroyed. They are full of potholes which makes transportation very uncomfortable, which is embarrassing to us.” He was particularly livid that despite the mining of limestone in the Krobo area by major companies in other parts of the country, royalties from these mining activities have not been used to provide infrastructure for the people. “God has blessed us with a lot of resources such as limestone with lots of heavy trucks hauling the mineral to Aflao, Tema, and Takoradi but what benefits do we get from these?” quizzed the chief. The Dorm divisional chief also bemoaned the lack of regular flow of water through pipelines running through the community. He said though the Kpong water treatment plant on Krobo soil provides water to consumers in Accra and Tema, many residents in the Krobo area continue to be denied the commodity. To provide employment opportunities for the area's youth, Nene Bediako Baah Muala called for the establishment of factories in the Manya Krobo area. Also adding his voice to the call, Divisional Chief of Manya-Aklomuase, Okpatakpla Sasraku IV speaking on the theme, ‘the role of stakeholders in building a united and progressive Kroboland,’ called for unity amongst the Krobo people following divisions among them over the brouhaha with the ECG and chieftaincy disputes which have left the people sharply divided. In an interview to underscore this call, Nene Sasraku said, “Of late, there are a lot of issues in Kroboland ranging from electricity issues to chieftaincy issues, that is why I said it is time for us now to come together and build a better state. He was hopeful that all stakeholders would come together in the coming year to build a better Krobo for the benefit of the people. Manye (Queen-mother) of Dorm, Manye Meya II speaking at the event called on parents to ensure that their children are adequately educated. Referring to the popular ‘if you educate a man, you educate an individual but if you educate a woman you educate a nation’ mantra, the queen-mother urged parents, particularly mothers to prioritize the education of their children, especially their daughters. “Let’s protect our children and send them to school. If you educate your daughter, you’ve educated a nation, if you educate your son, you educate an individual. But if you educate your daughter, they take care of a home, the nation, children,” said the queen mother. She encouraged mothers to support their children’s fathers to ensure that they care for the children while in school by providing for all their needs. The queen mother also cautioned the community to be wary of the HIV virus which was on the rise in the community and elsewhere in the country and called on mothers to take steps to protect their children. Divisional Chief of Manya-Aklomuase, Nene Okpatakpla Sasraku IV