Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, Omanhene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, has called on other chiefs to initiate comprehensive programmes and collaborate with government to seek foreign assistance for the development of their areas.

He noted that government alone could not develop the country and asked traditional rulers to solicit aid from international financial institutions such as the World Bank towards the improvement of the standards of living of their people.

Speaking to the GNA in an interview in Accra on Tuesday, Osagyefuo Amoatia said chiefs and other opinion leaders should take advantage of the advanced information technology to explore ways of contacting foreign donors for assistance.

The Okyenhene said: '' I am seriously searching for ways of helping my people by scanning the Internet and my colleagues should do same. Traditional rulers have to be aggressive in finding ways of developing their areas and should not expect authorities of the State alone to do that.''

He said apart from preserving culture and traditional values, chiefs should take positive steps to tackle the elimination of diseases, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and other problems that plagued the people, especially those in deprived areas.

Osagyefuo Amoatia condemned illegal chainsaw operators and timber contractors, who felled trees indiscriminately in the Akyem Abuakwa area. He advised them to obtain licences and approval from the Forestry Commission to enable them to work without any hindrance and said chiefs would insist that the right procedure was followed in the exploitation of the country's natural resources.

He said because natural resources were major sources of government revenue, proceeds from timber and mineral exploitation should go to the national purse for development and not into private pockets.

Osagyefo Amotia called on government to ensure sustainable development that would preserve the country's natural resources for future generations.