The chiefs and people of Saltpond Lower Town in the Central Region have cancelled the celebration of their annual Ayerye festival this year to enable them use the money they would have spent on it to support construction of a water closet toilet.

The cancellation of the festival would also offer the Asafo companies ample time to procure new uniforms.

Nana Baah VII, Chief of the town and Ninfahene of the Nkusukum traditional area announced the decision at a meeting of the Ninfa Division Council at Saltpond.

Nana Baah said the days when the festival was marked with only drumming and dancing were gone forever and that henceforth the festival would be marked with either commissioning of a project or sod cutting to commence a new one.

"We need to harness available resources to improve our standard of living, we would not achieve much if we would want to rely on the government for all our development needs," he said.

He appealed to the citizens residing home and elsewhere to contribute cash or in kind to get the project completed on time.

Nana Baah, who is also a teacher, expressed concern about the falling standard of education in the town and appealed to parents to invest in their children's education by providing them with books and ensuring that the children go to school regularly and learn at home.

He said the divisional council had enacted a by law banning children of school going age from roaming the streets after 7 p.m. and appealed to the leaders of Asafo companies and the Unit committee to help enforce the law.

The chief advised the people to refrain from promiscuous life styles to avoid contracting the deadly HIV/AIDS.