Asamang (Ash), Oct. 4, GNA - Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has called on traditional leaders to assert themselves and utilise the abundant influence they possess in partnering government to deliver social and economic benefits.

"Whether in the field of advocacy on health issues or in the arena of ensuring that children go to school under hygienic conditions or in the preservation of cultural heritage, chiefs have a crucial role to play", he said.

The Asantehene was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Asamang in the Afigya-Sekyere district on Tuesday to officially launch all project interventions initiated by him and a photo exhibition of the project outputs under the Promoting Partnerships with Traditional Authorities Project (PPTAP).

He emphasised that, "Sitting aloof and watching the government facilitate development projects alone in our areas of jurisdiction is not an acceptable position".

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said with the successful end of the project, he was going to use all possible means to extend other felt needs of the people to other regions of the country with the support of other traditional leaders.

Professor Gyan Baffour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said the project had helped to improve the living standards of people in the communities that had benefited from the projects. He hoped the chiefs would not rest on their oars now that the project had come to an end but would continue with it to bring development and employment opportunities to the people to reduce poverty.

In an address read on his behalf, the World Bank Country Director, Mr Mats Karlsson said the vision of Asantehene, which was yielding fruitful results and that other representatives from other countries had come to learn from it.

He said the World Bank had initiated Community-Based Rural Development Projects, Small-Medium Term Projects as well as Water and Sanitation Projects to which chiefs and district assemblies could source to help in the development of the people.

Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, urged the beneficiary communities to ensure proper maintenance of the projects so that they could last.

He also urged the traditional leaders and the schools to ensure that all school-going children were enrolled in the schools. Mr Johnson Osei-Hwedie, Project Manager of PPTAP, said the Asantehene had been praised in all the communities, which had benefited from the project.

He said the project that covered education, health, cultural heritage preservation and capacity building in 42 communities had been achieved and the beneficiary communities had attested to it. Mr Osei-Hwedie said PPTAP proved to be a life-changing experience for the people in the Ashanti Region and had opened the way for more partnership programmes to be developed in Ghana and Africa.