Amenase (Ashanti Region) 1st June ?99

Nana Okru Karikari Bediako-Poku, Chief of Amenase-Ashanti, has called on queen mothers to live up to their traditional role as counsellors and spearhead the crusade of women's emancipation, especially in the rural areas.

He said queen mothers should not abandon their traditional roles in the proper upbringing of young girls into womanhood to contribute effectively to socio-economic development of the community and the country as a whole.

Nana Bediako-Poku made the call at a durbar of chiefs and people of Amenase-Ashanti in the Afigya-Sekyere District to outdoor Nana Amma Pokuah Afriyie as the new queen mother of the town as part of activities to mark Akwasidae last Sunday.

Nana Afriyie, known in private life as Mrs. Georgina Amoako, is a staff of the Commission for Racial Equality at the Home Office in London and succeeded Nana Akyaama, who abdicated about seven years ago due to ill-health.

The chief of Amenase appealed to all queen mothers to join the Association of Queen mothers to exchange ideas for development.

Nana Afriyie thanked the chiefs and elders for the trust reposed in her and pledged to apply her experience both at home and abroad to improve the lot of women in the town.

At the durbar, Nana Afriyie's husband, Mr Princeworth Ernest Amoako, was installed Nkosuohene for the town under the stool name, Nana Fosu Gyeabour, in appreciation of the assistance he has offered to the town.