Grow pineapple or get banned – Ekumfi Paramount Chief orders all to make 1D1F work

The Paramount Chief of Ekumfi Traditional Area, Odeefo Akyin XII, has directed all sub-chiefs and family heads to within one month start the cultivation of pineapple to feed the Ekumfi Pineapple Factory or face his wrath. He said his area cannot suffer the same fate as Komenda with their sugar factory. Works on the construction of the Ekumfi Pineapple Factory, the first under the One-District One-Factory Programme, was commissioned by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2017. A 200-acre land was released by the chiefs and people of Ekumfi for the project. The National Coordinator for the Programme, Madam Gifty Ohene Konadu, paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief on Monday and inspected work on the project. Taking his guests around his backyard plantation, Odeefo Akyin XII said he took a personal initiative to cultivate a 20-acre pineapple farm. He therefore charged all members of the traditional authority to start cultivating the fruit or else be banned from entering his palace for Ekumfi Traditional Council meetings. He said the blame on the government on certain projects is getting off-hand when traditional areas, whose people the projects will be for, are not willing to lease land. He said he has importuned the Member of Parliament, Ato Cudjoe, as well as officers of the Programme to ensure that the project succeeds. The Ekumfi Omahen said he cannot sit to let the factory fail as it has a potential to help the youth and the next generation of the area. Madam Konadu commended the Omanhen for taking a keen interest in the pineapple project. She asked other traditional rulers to emulate Odeefo Akyin XII and make sure projects in their areas are given such commitment. By Kwame Kakarba|3news.com|Ghana  ]]>