HOLD FORUM TO FIND ANTIDOTE TO 'SAKAWA' (PAGE 35)

THE Omanhene of the Awua-Odumase Traditional Area, Nana Kwame Korang VI, has called for a national forum to discuss and find solutions to the cyber fraud popularly known as ‘sakawa’ and the armed robbery menace, which the youth are mostly involved, to secure the future of the country.
According to him, his suggestion for the hosting of the forum by the state, with participants drawn from the traditional authorities, religious leadership, among others, is meant to deliberate on the issues and come out with practical ways of addressing the social menace that has gained root in the Ghanaian society.
Nana Korang stressed that those challenges did not only pose serious security threat, but also affected the image of the country abroad.
The Omanhene made the suggestion at a day’s capacity building training workshop on the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759, for members of the Awua-Odumase Traditional Council at Odumase.
The workshop, organised by the traditional council in conjunction with the Sunyani West District Assembly, was aimed at sensitising the chiefs to the role and functions of Nananom, the Chieftaincy Act 2008 and the judicial process.
Another objective of the event, on the theme: “Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 and the Ethics”, was to reduce the disputes and conflicts that often arose when it came to succession to stools and the judicial process.
“Posterity would never forgive as a nation if we fail to discuss this matter and find the appropriate solutions to address it,” Nana Korang stressed.
He said majority of the people who had been arrested for armed robbery and cyber fraud were mostly the youth aged 18 to 30.
“There is, therefore, the need to find a lasting solution to this menace before it completely gets out of hand,” Nana Korang emphasised.
Touching on the essence of the workshop, the Omanhene said the traditional council decided to organise it to sensitise the chiefs as a measure of reducing the numerous chieftaincy disputes that came about when it came to succession.
He advised the participants to educate their people, especially the youth, on the new Chieftaincy Act for them to understand succession to prevent them from being lured by chieftancy contractors who were bent on fomenting trouble in their communities.
Nana Korang stated that peace was an essential commodity for development, and therefore, called on traditional rulers to promote peace and unity in their traditional areas at all times.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani West, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, commended the traditional council for organising the workshop to educate its members on the Chieftaincy Act.
He said that would go a long way to address the numerous chieftaincy disputes that had bedevilled the area and retarded its development.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sunyani West, Mr Kwadwo Osei Asibey, called on the youth in the area not to allow themselves to be used to fan chieftaincy disputes.
Among the resource persons at the workshop was Mr Thomas K. Aning, a senior archivist at the Manhyia Palace, who presented a paper on “The role and functions of Nananom".