The Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area, Osie Aja Tekpor VII, has stated that the days when chiefs were merely ceremonial leaders are long gone and has called on chiefs in the country and his traditional area in particular, to strive for development for their communities.
Osie Aja Tekpor said chiefs must be agents for change and bring more development to their communities in order to better the lives of their subjects.
The Paramount Chief of Avatime was speaking at Amedzofe on Saturday July 30th, 2011, during the launch of this year’s annual rice festival (Amu Festival, 2011) for the chiefs and people of Avatime Traditional Area, dubbed “Amedzofe 2011”.
The event marked final preparations towards the celebration of the main event to be observed in November this year which is under the theme: “Enhancing Eco-Tourism through rice farming”.
The entire Avatime area rises from a height of about 2,000 meters to as low as 500 meters, and has one of the best eco-tourism attractions in the country. The Gemi Mountain, which is the second highest point in Ghana as well as the waterfall at Amedzofe among others, are potential attractions that can be developed to boost tourism and in turn the national economy.
It also has vast green vegetation suitable for the production of brown rice, which has the highest nutrients needed for the body. It is traditionally used to prepare baby foods to keep children and adults healthy.
It is against this background that the chiefs and elders of the area have come together to celebrate the Amu Festival each year, to expose the area through the production of brown rice.
Osie Aja Tekpor therefore charged his sub-chiefs in all the seven clans that make up the traditional area to settle all disputes; be they chieftaincy or family by the end of 2011. He stressed the need for the communities under his paramountcy to enter the year 2012 on a clean sheet devoid of conflicts and misunderstandings, which usually stifle development.
He consequently directed his sub-chiefs to be mindful of certain actions and statements they make which could potentially result in conflicts. He urged them to rather encourage their citizens to come and help develop Avatime.
The Osie was sad that pupils from the area have consistently performed poorly in the area of academics, and called on those who abuse teaching and learning materials to the detriment of the children, to put immediate an stop to it.
Earlier, the Chief of Amedzofe, Okusie Akyem Foli V advised youth from the area to use the opportunity that the festival presents, to get involved in the cultivation of rice in order to improve their living standards.
Okusie Akyem Foli V stressed on the need for the people to stay united, to enable peace to prevail in the area during before and after the festival.
Story: Jerry Tsatro Mordy/Asempa News/Ghana
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