Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has launched the New Juaben Traditional Area Development Day in Koforidua.

This was part of activities marking the Akwantukese festival of the chiefs and people of the traditional area.

The Development Day was launched under the theme: “Unveiling the Citizens Sector as the Third Sector in Pan-African Development” at the forecourt of the palace of Daasebre Oti Boateng II.

The day was used to mobilize citizens and communities to implement the first Pan-African award winning Root-Based Economic Development (r-BED) model, aimed at building sustainable community development in the society.

The r-BED is a home-grown economic framework and it is aimed at building sustainable community development through the reduction of poverty, provision of basic needs such as housing, food, health and education.

The Vice President said the day is important as it provides a platform for stocktaking of community development areas as well as set targets for community development projects.

He said government needed the r-BED to complement its effort in the social and economic development of nation as there was no development without the active participation of community members.

The Vice President said the model would help to complete government’s effort in reducing poverty, insecurities and inequalities in Ghana and the rest of Africa but added that the technology aspect of the model needed to be reviewed.

He called on traditional leaders to subscribe to the r-BED model for lessons sharing and good practices as it would empower Ghanaians to reduce hardships.

Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng II, said the r-BED provides the blue print for the ‘Ghana beyond Aid agenda’ because Ghana “cannot continue to rely on development models from the west to achieve this noble agenda”.

He said the r-BED would empower the traditional areas to have the basic capacity to partner government for national development.

The Omanhene and former Government statistician said Ghana must take every opportunity such as the R-BED “to move the country from the charity recipient mentality”.

A Community Economic Development and Investment (CEDI) Trust, a component of the r-BED model and TRAFED Board, responsible for running businesses of all the 12 major towns that form the traditional area, was also inaugurated.

The Omanhene later presented awards to the Yiadom-Hwedie members for their dedicated services and commitment to the birth of the r-BED model.

The President of the National House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Asogli state, Togbe Afede XIV, commended the Omanhene for the good work done to sustain community development and urged all traditional areas to adopt the model for grassroots development.