President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII says this year, with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, all traditional areas in the region will celebrate their festivals.
According to him, although some traditional areas across the country celebrated their festivals, the region resolved not to celebrate any festival to protect lives.
He indicated that the impact of the virus has drastically reduced to the extent that wearing a nose mask is no longer mandatory so for now there is the need to celebrate festivals
Making the announcement at the first general meeting of the Central Regional House of Chiefs in Cape Coast on Tuesday, 12 April, 2022, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadi VIII said the regional house of chiefs will work hard this year to guarantee that every festival in the region is branded in an appealing manner in order to attract visitors to the region.
He also hinted that the House of chiefs is planning a grand durbar called “AFRESHIA K3SE” within the region to have all paramount chiefs join to have one big festival within the region.
Commenting on the recent spate of road accidents in the region, he stated that the upsurge is alarming and appealed to drivers to ensure discipline on the roads so as to reduce road crashes.
“We appeal to drivers to adhere to all road traffic regulations to make our roads safe, “he emphasized.
3 Pillars
Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII stating the objectives of the House disclosed that it will be guided by 3 pillars namely: peace, safety, and development for the next few years.
PEACE
- Training sessions will be organized for chiefs, queen mothers, and family heads to help minimize chieftaincy disputes. The University of Cape Coast has offered its medical school conference centre for this training.
- A deadline has been set to resolve cases possibly 3 months for arbitration and 6 months for judicial cases and the hearing of judiciary cases will now start from 10 am in July 2022 instead of after mid-day when lawyers have finished court sessions elsewhere.
- Also, the house will sponsor staff training to improve their skillset and competencies.
Safety
1. The house will collaborate with the National Road Safety in their road safety campaigns.
2. Develop messages for all chiefs so that when chiefs have an opportunity to speak to their people they can educate people about road safety.
DEVELOPMENT
- Development of strategic development for every traditional area which will intend feed into the strategic plan for the region which is being done by the Regional Coordinating Council (CRC), hence there will be a collaboration with the CRC to develop a regional strategic plan.
He, therefore, called for the support of all chiefs to ensure that all these goals set are realized in the long run.
“Nanamon we looking forward to your usual support so that we can move our region from among the poorest to be among the progressive regions in Ghana,” he said.
On her part, the Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan commended the Regional House of Chiefs for their tremendous support towards all the region’s development programmes.
While emphasizing the need to train the youth in the region, she urged the chiefs to inculcate discipline in the youth in order to foster growth.
Address
Head of Local Government Service Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur in an address to the House noted that chiefs play an important role in local governance as well as local development in the various regions.
According to him, chiefs must be recognized as advocates of peace and insurers of development thus he offered two initiatives: agenda for peace and agenda for development, both of which he believes can lead to peace and development in the various traditional areas in the region.
On the agenda of peace, he called for an expedition in the resolution of cases in the house because he believes long trials lead to total confusion.
Ing. Dr. Ato Arthur further urged chiefs to engage Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on developmental projects going on in their various jurisdiction. He also expressed the need to summon Ministers, Heads, and CEOs from their region to share with them some of their developmental agendas.
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Source: Emmanuella Ama Gyamfi/ATLFMNEWS
