Akyawkrom (Ash), Oct 17, GNA - The Ejisu Traditional Council has appealed to all facilitators of the Land Administration Project (LAP) to retain the original names of the towns and villages currently undergoing a demarcation exercise under the Project, to help maintain their geographical and cultural identity. Speaking for the council, Nana Afrane Okese IV, the new paramount chief for Ejisu, said the spelling and pronouncement of their towns and villages affected by the exercise should be maintained and not changed, under the guise of literacy, saying that, the practice is gradually eroding geographical and cultural identity. These concerns were raised during a day's workshop held at Akyawkrom in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality on land demarcation under the LAP, for participants from the traditional authorities, Ministry of Lands and Forestry as well as other opinion leaders. The demarcation exercise, which is still on-going, would demarcate some municipal and metropolitan areas namely, Kumasi, Ejisu-Juaben and Bosomtwe.

It is being executed jointly by the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) and Rndan Engineering Services. The project is also aimed at validating land ownership for the communities the lands of which are being demarcated. Nana Okese therefore advised the experts involved in the exercise to ensure that no community loses its land to the other to avoid disputes. "This practice of changing town names traces back to the colonial times and history must not repeat itself", the Council maintained. He pledged his support for the Project and urged other chiefs to embrace the Project to ensure its success. Mr Yaw Ahenkora Afrifa, Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, called on the chiefs to exercise restraint when the exercise encounters any challenges whiles also advising contractors to involve the chiefs to make their work easier.