Achiaman (G/A), Oct. 5, GNA - A durbar of chiefs and people of Achiaman near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, have been held as part of activities to mark their Homowo festival.

Festivals are very important occasions on the traditional calendars of the various traditional areas in Ghana and the "Homowo" is celebrated by the Ga people to mark the harvesting of a staple food and also to hoot at hunger among others. These rites allow the people to commune with the spirits of their ancestors.

Speaking at a colourful durbar at Achiaman at the weekend, Nii Achia II , chief of the town, said development projects to better their lot, have eluded them and therefore, called on the government to focus attention on the people in the area.

Nii Achia blamed the poor development of the area on some chiefs and stool elders who meddled in politics and land litigations, saying this situation normally resulted in petty squabbles, chaos, confusion and also retarded progress and development.

The chief pledged that he and the royal family were prepared to contribute ten percent of the cost of any development project that the Ga District Assembly would undertake in the area.

Nii Achia said the Achia Royal Family had procured 45 High Tension electricity poles estimated at 100 million cedis, to facilitate the completion of electrification project for the area.

Mr. E. Okine, secretary of the royal family, appealed to the assembly to provide its share of the remaining 20 poles, to facilitate the installation of lights to the town and the adjourning villages. The secretary noted that the area has not had enough of its share of development projects, and called on well-meaning people who have the welfare of area at heart, to endeavour to contribute their quota towards their quest for improve standard of living.

Mr. Okine mentioned priorities, among other social amenities, as schools, KVIPs, pipe-borne water and reshaping of their feeder roads, saying, "we have been left in the dark for far too long."