President John Evans Atta Mills has called on the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and other appropriate committees to mediate in the Okuapeman chieftaincy dispute which is hindering development in the area.
That, he said, would help to bring together the people of Okuapeman to enable them to peacefully co-exist with one another and contribute meaningfully to the area’s socio-economic development.
“I will humbly plead with the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and its other appropriate committees to mediate in the chieftaincy impasse in Akuapem between the Benkum (Larteh), the Adonten (Aburi) and the Nifa (Adukrom) divisions on one side and the Okuapehene on the other,” the President stated.
In an address read on his behalf by the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Alex Asum-Ahensah, at the celebration of this year’s Odwira festival of the chiefs and people of Akuapem on Saturday, the President said “let us use this year’s Odwira festival to bury our differences and forge ahead in unity for a better Okuapeman and a better Ghana”.
The event, which was on the theme “The Role of the Youth in the Development of the Nation”, also coincided with the 35th anniversary of the reign of Oseadeeyo Nana Addo Dankwa III as the Okuapehene.
The colourful ceremony drew a large gathering of people from all walks of life including the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Baba Jamal; the District Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Mr George Opare-Addo, and Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2008 December general election.
The President said Okuapeman once used to be one of the traditional areas in the country where chieftaincy disputes were non-existent or minimal, a development that ensured the rapid development of the area.
“But that is not so currently, since this ugly phenomenon of chieftaincy disputes is surfacing in the traditional area,” he stated.
Prof. Mills, therefore, urged the chiefs and people of Okuapeman to use this year’s Odwira festival to bury their differences and forge ahead in unity to enable them to contribute to the area’s rapid development.
He used the occasion to thank the chiefs and people of the Eastern Region for voting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to power during the 2008 general election.
He, however, urged the people to exercise maximum patience for the Government, since his administration was making every effort to “fix the tattered economy we inherited from our predecessors”.
According to him, the NDC Government would not rush in taking decisions that would be detrimental to the nation, hence the decision to tread cautiously in taking vital decision affecting the people. “It is the positive impact of an action which matters and not the rush in its implementation,” he added.
The President assured Ghanaians that his administration would not witch-hunt any political opponent but would insist that political office holders accounted for their stewardship “for the sake of transparency, probity and accountability”.
“My government is bent on uniting Ghanaians and not dividing them along political, religious and ethnic lines,” Prof. Mills added.
The President commended the Okuapehene for ensuring peace and development in the area and wished him good health and God’s blessings and guidance in the days and years of his reign.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Mr Baba Jamal, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, reiterated the need for the chiefs and people of Okuapeman to strive to put the past behind them and unite as one people with a common destiny to ensure the prevalence of peace in the area.
Earlier in his welcoming address read for him, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa appealed to the youth to eschew negative lifestyles that could adversely jeopardise their future ambitions.
He urged them to take advantage of the numerous opportunities provided by the Government and society to educate themselves and acquire the requisite knowledge and skills to enable them to become responsible citizens in the future.
He commended President Mills for assuming the highest office of the land and expressed the commitment and support of the Akuapem Traditional Council to his administration.
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