The Chief of Avatime Gbadzeme in the Ho-West District of Volta Region, Okusie Okorforobour Agyeman VII, has reiterated his appeal to the government to treat as a matter of urgency and priority rehabilitation of the road linking the community and Avatime Fume.

The six-kilometer narrow and deplorable road bisecting the two semi-urban communities through the hilly area has never been tarred or undergone any major rehabilitation, compelling citizens of Gbadzeme, to periodically engage in voluntary contributions to patch deteriorating portions of the road.

The appalling nature of the road network poses a risk to many commuters and wards off potential tourists, traders, and commercial transport operators from the community.

Okusie Okorforobour Agyemang, also the Acting Divisional Chief of the Amedzofe and Gbadzeme Division of Avatime Traditional Area (Onepeone) was speaking during the press and traditional launch of the 2024 Avatime Amu Festival. The occasion, held at Avatime Gbadzeme, was marked with the planting of trees, durbar, and cultural performances to portray the conservation of the ecosystem and preservation of the cultural heritage of the area.

“Our numerous appeals to the government, the Ho-West District Assembly, Volta Regional Coordinating Council, and other relevant state institutions have not been heeded, as if we are living on a separate island and not part of Ghanaians,” the disheartened Chief lamented.

This year’s Festival dubbed 2024 Amufest is being celebrated on the theme “Sustaining Avatime as a climate resilient community through mountain brown rice production, culture, and ecotourism”, is the 13th edition since the reinstatement of the traditional event.

The week-long programme of activities commemorating the Festival includes visits to the ancestral cave sites, womanhood customary initiation rites (Kusakorkor), and hiking to tourist sites.

Okusie Okorforobour Agyemang used the occasion to denounce the destruction of Ghana’s ecology through reckless logging and illegal mining also known as galamsey, resulting pollution of river bodies and the devastation of vegetative cover.

“Government and its regulatory and law enforcement institutions must to rise to their responsibilities to stop the illegal mining activities, also known as galamsey to avert severe environmental and health catastrophe in the country. Let us uphold in high esteem, our patriotism and moral values to preserve the heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our forefathers,” he remarked.

An agriculturalist Madam Janet Adade appealed to the government to assist farmers in Avatime with equipment and other relevant materials to exploit their agricultural potentials in food and cash crop cultivation required to boost economic well-being along the value chain.

The significance of Amufest is to commemorate the historical cultural heritage of Avatime, strengthen the existing relationship among the seven Avatime communities as well as promote the ecological potentials of Avatime and the socio-economic values of Amu Festival by positioning the traditional Festival on the national and international radar of reputable Festivals.