Abakomahene Barima Asamoah Kofi IV, third in the line of succession to the paramount stool of Aberem Traditional Area has paid a familiarization visit to the mayor of old Dutch city of Gouda, W M Cornelis, who is to be enstooled as ?Nkosuohene?-Developmental Chief- of Elmina in October, this year.

Barima Asamoah Kofi IV, known in private life as ?Okyeniba? Stephen Kwasi Oduro and an Amsterdammer, during interaction with the mayor said since he (the mayor) is to be enstooled shortly as a chief close to his traditional area, it is imperative for the two to establish a strong working relationship in order to bring development projects to their peoples, to lift them up out of poverty and deprivation into good health, sound education for their children as well as good environmental management and sanitation to reduce incidence of disease outbreak, among others.

Barima Asamoah, who is a public health information officer with Amsterdam Municipal Health Care Authority (GG & GD), and Community Development and Empowerment trainer said his chieftaincy will be one to build bridge between his subjects in Europe and Ghana of which he finds the mayor as a perfect partner.

Mayor Cornelis, who is also known as the Chief of Elmina Java Hill Community, is due to travel to Elmina with his family and a group of experts this week to ascertain extent of progress on on-going development projects there. Development projects that are underway include infrastructure development for fishing, solid waste management-through provision of 500 rubbish containers and small cars for collection of refuse- and improvement of children?s education through provision of school buses.

Other project facilities are Fire tenders for the local fire brigade, ambulance for the local clinic, which is to be adopted by a Rotary Club in The Netherlands through arrangements of Mayor Cornelis. The projects enumerated will take between three years in the short term and 10 years in the long term to complete.

Accompanying Barima Asamoah Kofi IV in the visit was Nana Kuntu Jackson Amankwaa, from Akasanoma Radio-Amsterdam, Seth Awuku and Eric Amoako all good friends of Barima Asamoah.

Source: Akasanoma Radio-Amsterdam/Sikaman Foundation