President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised the youth to resort to dialogue rather than violence in resolving grievances.
He made the passionate appeal while addressing a durbar of Chiefs and people at the Ngmayem Festival at Somanya in the Eastern Region.
“I appeal to our youth to use dialogue in addressing grievances instead of resorting to violence which in the end resolves very little.”
The President also urged Chiefs to maintain peace needed for development.
“Continue to sustain the peace being enjoyed to make Ghana an enviable beacon of peace and stability in Africa. Take advantage of your role in society to continue to preach peace to our people for without peace there cannot be development.”
Reacting to concerns raised on deplorable roads and return of ancestral home and Krobo mountain, President Nana Akufo-Addo said efforts were being made.
“I am happy to inform you that, I have given approval for the construction of the road from Somanya- Kpong through to Odumase, Messrs General Construction will work on it. Atua to hospital road, Abanse – Kodjoman road, storm drain at Mana, will be completed by end of November .The reconstruction of the Atua-Kpong would commence in earnest. More developments are in the offing and what government can expect from you is your support and active collaboration.”
“Discussion of return of your ancestral lands are ongoing and I am hopeful they would be concluded soon,” he added.
Konor of Manya Krobo Nene Sackite, who doubles as the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chief, appealed to politicians to refrain from hate speech.
“There should be limit of what you can tell your opponent. It should not be hate speech, we should know where the limit lies, else there would be consequences.”
Konor Sackite raised concerns about the deplorable roads in the Manya Krobo traditional area and need for the ancestral home to be return to them to avoid sale of lands and encroachment by individuals.
“I strongly believe that if our road network is upgraded to motorable standards, it would greatly open economic opportunities of our area in terms of farming, tourism and general business. We have a vibrant tourism potential which must be vigorously explored.”
He added: “Return Krobo mountain back to us. We have made several efforts for the return of our ancestoral home but still, no credible response from successive governments. Information reaching me indicates that the land is being partitioned and sold to private developers. This is in contravention of Article 20 (5) of the 1992 constitution.”
The Ngmayem Festival is an annual harvest festival celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region.
The festival was established by Nene Azu Mate Korle in 1944 to replace the already existing festival called “Yeliyem”, which literary means ‘eating of yam’.
The meaning of Ngmayem is ‘Eating the New Millet’.
The festival is a commemoration of plentiful Harvest of Millet, which is called ‘ngma’ and it is a period in which the people of Manya Krobo give thanks to their Creator for protection and the plentiful harvest.
By Yvonne Neequaye|3news.com|Ghana