Daasebre Oti Boateng
DAASEBRE EMERITUS Prof.
Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juabeng Traditional Council, has introduced an
annual Traditional Area Development Day (TADD) in Koforidua, the Eastern
Regional capital.
TADD is designed specifically
to serve as an interface between traditional festivals and self-help
development initiatives of traditional areas. Besides, it is designed to be a
special purpose vehicle for the implementation of a Pan-African Root-Based Economic
Development (r-BED) model for accelerated and home-driven growth.
Speaking at the launch,
Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng said the r-BED model aimed to serve as
the basis for a new community development order in Ghana, Africa and other growing
economies.
He indicated that it sought
to empower community development beyond aid to attain self-security, self-reliance,
self-determination and self-sufficiency.
The Omanhene mentioned
that Ghanaian communities would have progressive functional development
orientation for the continuous mass mobilization of resources by citizens,
traditional leaders and the community towards investment and community
development under the implementation of the r-BED model.
Besides, Daasebre said that
a Community Economic Development and Investment (CEDI) trust had been
established for each of the 12 communities which constituted the traditional
area.
He expressed the belief that
with functional community development replicated in all traditional areas in
Ghana and its communities, poverty, insecurity, risky migration, insurgency,
and inequalities were expected to reduce significantly.
Vice-President Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia, who was the special guest of honour, in his remarks, said it was
his hope that the initiative would serve as a turning point for traditional
areas to partner with government and the private sector for local level
development.
He said as co-Chair of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), government believed that initiatives
of such nature were necessary for the attainment of the goals.
Dr. Bawumia emphasised
that the initiative would help in two important ways by providing a platform
for stock-taking of community development programmes, the role of traditional
authorities and chiefs in the country and also set targets in efforts to build
up commitments for sustainable community.
“The r-BED module is what African governments need to complement their efforts in the areas of social and economic development. For us in Ghana, it is timely and fits into government’s vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid,” he stated.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua
