A mini durbar of the chiefs and people of Ezilinbo traditional area in the Jomoro District of the Western Region had been held to climax this year's annual Kundum festival.

The festival which is celebrated by the Ahantas and Nzema people of the Western Region, is an occasion to render thanksgiving to God for the abundance of food at the end of the harvest period.

The week-long celebration which was on the theme, "Unity for Progressive Development", was marked with activities such as appellation songs, football gala competition, a clean-up exercise, girl-child education and fundraising.

Addressing the durbar on Friday October 27, 2017, the chief of Ezilinbo, Nana Kolora Blay IV, expressed profound appreciation to people in the area notably the planning committee and others from abroad who made the celebration a very colourful one.

He appealed to inhabitants of the area to use the festival to unite as a prerequisite for the rapid development of the community.

Nana Blay expressed wary about the falling standards of education in the area and attributed it to lack of parental control and copying of certain lifestyle by the youth.

He admonished parents not to lavish money on expensive funerals to the detriment of their children's education and their developmental needs.

The chief also advised youth in the area to commit themselves to their education and take advantage of emerging opportunities in the area.

"Today if you don't go to school to acquire knowledge, you will not get proper work to do. Very soon Ezinlibo community will see governmental projects and if you joke with your education, you will not be engaged”, he cautioned.

He said though Ezilinbo was a fishing community, yet the youth must concentrate so much on fishing but rather, focus on education for a secured and brighter future.

Nana Kolora used the occasion to appeal to all indigenes of Ezinlibo both home and abroad to contribute towards the developmental agenda of the community.

He was not happy about the dwindling of communal spirit in the area with special reference to some elders of the town who were not contributing their quota towards the rapid development of the community.

Cash donations were made to support the completion of an abandoned toilet facility which was started by the community but stalled due to lack of finance.

The Kundum festival is celebrated by the Ahanta and Nzema people of the Western Region of Ghana to thank God for a bumper harvest.

According to history and folklore, the festival began when a hunter, Mr. Akpoley, during an expedition, chanced upon some dwarves dancing in a circle.

After observing the dance, he returned to the town and introduced it to his people.

The ritual dance, has the propensity to ward off any devilish spirits and malevolent forces from towns and villages.

The festival usually starts from Ahanta through Axim and Ellembelle to the Jomoro Districts.

Speaking at the durbar, the Jomoro Constituency Chairman, Mr. Ernest Kwofie who represented the party and government, admitted that the Ezilinbo Kundum festival was among the best celebration in the District and entreated the chiefs and their subjects to continue to live in peace and harmony.

Mr. Ernest Kwofie who has been just nominated as a DCE nominee for Jomoro District by President Akufo-Addo, hinted that government was ready to support the community towards development and pledged to honour any invitation from the community.

In an exclusive interview with Ghanaweb's Western Region correspondent, Daniel Kaku after the durbar, a teacher of Annor Adjaye JHS and Secretary to the Festival Planning committee, Mr. Nyameke Kodwo alias Teacher Kodwo, thanked the sponsors of the festival, Adonkor Bitters, Paa Emma Phones and accessories, Hope FM and the media for great support given to the community.

He revealed that the Planning had drawn up a programme to ensure that the development agenda of the town was executed accordingly.

He said education which was the bedrock of development, would take center stage and appealed to the people to support the planning committee to realize its objectives.

The Assemblyman of the area, Hon. Emmanuel Assuah-Chie Erzoah alias Emmasco, said education is the key to success in every field of human endeavour and charged parents and guardians to give their children good education.

He said the sandy beaches in the area are very potential tourist attractions and called on his people to keep them clean in order to attract entrepreneurs who would establish beach resorts.

He pleaded with his people to revive their self-help spirit to facilitate development of the community.

He used the celebration to appeal to government to come to the aid of the only Senior High School of the area, Annor Adjaye SHS with facilities as one of the classrooms built by the late John Evans Atta Mills was on the verge of collapse.