Odumase (E/R), Oct. 29, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to the people involved in the Akuse land issue to exercise restrain and wait for the report of the Presidential Commission on Chieftaincy Affairs on the matter.

He expressed the hope that the Commission would come out with a fair decision that would reflect the expectation of all the parties involved in the conflict.

President Kufuor made the appeal in a speech read for him at a grand durbar of chiefs and people of Manya Krobo Traditional Area organized at Odumase to climax the celebration of this year's Ngmayem Festival.

He announced that by November this year, GHACEM and two companies from Norway would cut the sod for the mining of limestone in the Manya Krobo District for the production of cement.

President Kufuor said plans were far advanced for the establishment of a mango fruit juice-processing factory in the District. He said another foreign company had been granted license to establish a sugarcane plantation in the area for the production of sugar and appealed to the chiefs and people of the area to support the venture by releasing lands for the project.

The deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Gustav Narh Dometey said a proposal has been sent to the office of the President for the creation of Upper Manya District.

He said the Manya-Krobo District Assembly had registered 553 families comprising 3,000 individuals who had paid a total premium of 18 million cedis towards the District Health Insurance Scheme.

The Konor of Manya-Krobo, Nene Sakite II expressed the appreciation of people to the government for upgrading the Asesewa Health facility into a hospital and efforts to improve upon the road network in the area.

He said the Manya-Krobo Traditional Council had commissioned a committee on culture to reform or abolish obsolete traditional practices.

Nene Sakite said the EU, the Manya-Krobo Traditional and the District Assembly were executing five separate projects at Odumase, Asesewa and Akuse.

He announced that the Clerk University in the USA has entered into agreement with officials of the Konor Education Endowment Fund to sponsor two graduates to read Masters Degree programmes in the USA with effect from next year.

The beneficiary would be expected to assist the Traditional Council pursue its development plans.

Nene Sakite urged the people of Krobo to send the children to school to enable them acquire knowledge and skills required for development.