chiefs

Amanokrom (E/R), Sept. 27, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Saturday urged traditional authorities to persuade their people, particularly the youth, to take advantage of various government-funded credit facilities at the grassroots level to set up businesses. Addressing a grand durbar at Amanokrom to climax the annual Odwira festival of the Chiefs and people of the area, Vice President Mahama said such business ventures would create employment, stem rural-urban migration and push national economic growth.

He mentioned micro-finance support provided under the 20-billion-cedi-Social Investment Fund to support small-scale enterprises and the production of agricultural goods for local industry and export, as one of the sources.

Additionally, Vice President Mahama urged them to utilise the services the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), which had established Business Advisory Centres in collaboration with district assemblies to support micro and small-scale enterprise development. Vice President Mahama commended the Chief of Amanokrom, Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II and his people for maintaining peace and harmony in their area, saying business activities only thrived in such environments.

He also commended them for their self-reliant attitude and communal spirit, which had led to the provision of a community centre with a clinic, market, day care centre and other facilities. Vice President Mahama asked chiefs from other areas to emulate the people of Amanokrom, saying: "It is only in peace, unity and understanding that we can confront poverty, ignorance, disease, hunger and underdevelopment."

Responding to a complaint by the chief that because of the self-reliant spirit the community was not receiving adequate resources from their District Assembly, Vice President Mahama said it was the policy of the government to equitably distribute the national purse and pledged that they would have their share in due course.

He said the provision of educational, health, road and other infrastructure being developed by district assemblies across the country symbolised the government's commitment to improve the quality of life of all Ghanaians.

On the relevance of festivals, the Vice President said in addition to providing the platform for socialization and planning progress, festivals should be integrated into the national agenda to push tourism as a major foreign exchange earner and catalyst for economic growth. Oyeeman Wereko Ampem said some years ago, the people of Amanokrom made it a policy to commission at least one development project at every Odwira.

Consequently, the Vice President commissioned an ultra modern 750 million Junior Secondary School complex funded by Mr Ramchand Mohinani, an Indian Business Executive, who is considered a long-term friend of the community.

The complex, which includes three classrooms, a library, staff common room, headmaster and secretary's offices, has been named after the mother of the benefactor, Devi Mohinani. Oyeeman Wereko Ampem, who honoured Mr Mohinani at the durbar, called for support for the community to establish an information technology centre next year.

He said the Education Endowment Scheme instituted in 1996 had so far disbursed 85 million cedis as scholarship to students at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels.

An agricultural credit scheme, under which 250,000 cedis was loaned to farmers, was also run successfully over the year, he said, with all the beneficiaries paying back their loans on schedule.

Oyeeman Wereko Ampem, however, expressed concern about the level of indiscipline in the society, saying it was high time the people of Akwapim reclaimed their image as the most disciplined people in Ghana. A large number of people, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and other public officials as well as foreigners, attended the durbar.

Odwira, a purification and thanksgiving service, is observed over a 12 day-period.