Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, the Deputy Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, at the weekend expressed concern about the high level of moral decay in the Ghanaian society.

He observed that the rate at which indiscipline and acts of immorality among the youth was increasing is frightening.

Mr Effah-Baafi asked traditional authorities to revisit and regenerate old cultural systems that would restore positive moral values into the society.

The Deputy Minister was addressing the chiefs and people of Techiman at a durbar to climax the celebration of their annual Apoo festival in Techiman.

It was on the theme “creating awareness on health through environmental sanitation”.

Mr Effah-Baafi affirmed government’s commitment to maintain and strengthen its existing bond of relationship with traditional authorities.

He said since traditional rulers are the embodiment of the people, any government that failed to recognize and appreciate the role of chiefs and queen mothers in nation building would not succeed.

Mr Effah-Baafi said it was worrying that many parents especially those in rural areas and urban poor communities had lost grip on their children due to poverty and lack of parental guidance and neglect.

That notwithstanding, he stressed the importance of traditional rulers playing the leading role and spurring local communities to augment efforts of the government by embarking on community initiated projects.

This, the Deputy Minister observed, would not only attract support from the government, but also development partners as well.

Mr Effah-Baafi affirmed that as the government continued to deliver on its promise to expand education, increase access to health delivery and improve on roads, as well as create employment for the youth, chiefs and Queen-mothers ought also to demonstrate support.

He pointed out that peace is a necessary ingredient for stability, development and progress, and asked traditional rulers to use dialogue to patch up and resolve existing disputes, so that the cardinal objective of the government to bring development to every corner of the country would be achieved.

Oseadeeyo Ameyaw-Akumfi, the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, said the festival is aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence as it re-ignited the traditional bonds, relationship and loyalty among the people.

He said it also brings the people together to canvass for disease control, and therefore entreated the people in the traditional area to strictly adhere to the national sanitation programme.

Oseadeeyo Ameyaw-Akumfi appealed to the people to put aside their political differences, ensure a united front and fully support efforts by the Techiman Municipal Assembly to facilitate the rapid socio-economic development of the municipality