COMMITTEE TO PLAN GOLDEN JUBILEE OF BA (PAGE 20)

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), in collaboration with the Regional House of Chiefs, is to set up a committee to plan for the 50th anniversary of the creation of the region which falls on April 4, 2009.
The committee, which will have representations from the Regional House of Chiefs and other stakeholders, is to come out with an elaborate programme of activities to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the region, which is often referred to as “the food basket of the nation”.
The Brong Ahafo Region was created on April 4, 1959 by the first President of Ghana, the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The new Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, gave the hint when he met with the Standing Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs in Sunyani.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the President of the House of Chiefs and the Omanhene of Kukuom Traditional Area in the Asunafo South District, wanted to know the plans that had been put in place to ensure a grand golden jubilee on the creation of the region since the time was so close.
Mr Marfo replied that he would set up a committee and tasked it to plan for a great celebration.
He, therefore, appealed to the House to assist when the time is due since they were the custodians of the land and the embodiment of the region’s rich culture and history.
The regional minister commended the chiefs and people of the region for their prayers and support, which brought the new government to power and his subsequent nomination by President J.E.A. Mills and approval by Parliament to serve as the regional minister.
Mr Marfo also lauded the traditional rulers for the role they played in ensuring peace before, during and after the 2008 general election in the country, which had further deepened the country’s democratic culture and made the country a shining example to other African countries that had adopted multi-party democracy.
He pledged to engage the chiefs in his administration by seeking their wise counsel and opinions to speed up the development process and bring good governance to the people of the region.
Mr Marfo further promised to abide by the constitutional provision that debarred government functionaries and public office holders from dabbling in chieftaincy matters.
He, however, called on the Judicial Committee of the House to ensure the amicable settlement of about 54 chieftaincy cases pending before it to ensure the speedy development of the region.
Mr Marfo bemoaned the drug menace among the youth in the region and called on the Chiefs to lead the campaign against substance abuse by a section of the youth in their various traditional areas.
Earlier, Nana Aterkyi, in his response to the numerous chieftaincy cases pending before the House, said 10 out of the 54 cases had been resolved amicably, and gave the assurance that the rest of the cases would be dealt with accordingly for peace to prevail in the region.
Meanwhile, the Regional House of Chiefs has expressed gratitude to President Mills for appointing three sons of the region as Ministers of State, namely Messrs Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Alexander Asum-Ahensan and Alhaji Collins Dauda.