The people of Shai Traditional Area in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday, October 4, 2025, celebrated their annual Ngmayem Festival with a colourful durbar at Dodowa, reaffirming their commitment to national development and environmental preservation.

Speaking on behalf of the Paramount Chief, Odeopeor Matey Kojo Awhua IV, Nene Teye Kwesi Okukrubour Agyemang V, chief of Numersi and President of the Shai Traditional Council, commended President John Dramani Mahama for his leadership and recognition of the Shai and Osudoku people through key government appointments.

“Your Excellency, your reset agenda has begun to restore faith and progress in our nation. We thank you for appointing our sons and daughters to serve Ghana,” he said.

Among the notable appointees acknowledged were Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, Greater Accra Regional Minister and MP for Shai-Osudoku; Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Director-General of SIGA; and Simon Madji, CEO of GIPC.

Roads, Land, and Environment

The Traditional Council expressed gratitude for the ongoing Dodowa–Afienya–Dawhenya Road project under the President’s Big Push infrastructure programme, describing it as “a long-awaited relief.”

However, Nene Okukrubour appealed for more attention to other feeder roads connecting major Shai towns.

He also urged stronger collaboration between government and traditional leaders in protecting the environment, noting that the festival’s theme, “Protecting Our Environment Through Culture and Tradition,” reflects ancient Shai values of balance between nature and humanity.

The Council praised efforts to safeguard the Dodowa Forest, a historical and spiritual landmark, and revealed plans to restore it to its former glory.

Land Use and Royalties

Highlighting the state’s significant contribution to national development, the Council noted that over 200,000 acres of Shai land have been dedicated to forestry, tourism, and quarry operations.

“While these lands provide environmental and financial benefits to the state, the Traditional Council receives very little in return,” Nene Okukrubour lamented, urging the government to ensure royalty payments to support local administration.

He also requested the allocation of 2,000 acres of forest land for use as a modern burial reserve, stressing that it would not harm the environment.

The chiefs expressed excitement about the President’s proposed new city project to decongest Accra, which is expected to begin from the Shai lands.

Focus on Education and Development

Education challenges also featured prominently in the address. The Council called for more classroom blocks to address severe overcrowding, and appealed for improved resourcing of the Agomeda and Dodowa Technical Institutes.

They further proposed converting the old Dodowa District Hospital into a Nursing Training College to boost tertiary education and healthcare delivery in the area.

Celebrating Shai Identity

The Ngmayem Festival, derived from the Ga-Dangme word “ngma” (millet), marks the end of the harvest season and expresses gratitude to the gods and ancestors. The durbar grounds were filled with colour, traditional music, and chants of “Oklibone!” — a call to unity among the Shai people.

In his closing remarks, Nene Okukrubour encouraged peaceful coexistence among all ethnic groups within Shai-Osudoku, emphasising mutual respect as the foundation of lasting harmony.

“Our people respect the customs of their hosts wherever they live, and we expect the same from others who dwell among us,” he said.

As drums rolled and dancers performed, the 2025 Ngmayem Festival reaffirmed the Shai people’s deep sense of identity, gratitude, and hope for a future rooted in tradition and development.