Aburi celebrates Odwira Festival
The chiefs and people of Aburi in the Eastern Region last Saturday defied the rains and turned out in their numbers to celebrate this year’s Akuapem Adonten Odwira Festival.
The celebration, on the theme: “The role of traditional authorities in social, economic and environmental development”, brought together chiefs, government officials, including the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, and the citizenry.
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The colourful event was characterised by the firing of muskets, blowing of horns, chanting of war songs and artistic dance moves portraying the rich culture of the people of Aburi.
There was also fundraising to support the redevelopment of the chief’s palace and embark on other development projects.
Appeal
The Aburihene, Otuobuor Djan Kwasi II, appealed to the government to rehabilitate the Aburi Botanical Gardens to meet international standards.
He said the gardens had lost their value and pride due to neglect by successive governments, lack of maintenance and bureaucracy in its management.
“The gardens are in a very deplorable state and this is the 31st time I am making this appeal since I ascended this stool. This facility, when improved upon and run professionally, will be a great asset to the nation. Most important of it all is its economic benefit, including job creation.
“This is one of the biggest recreational centres in the country. It is possible we can even add it to the One-district, One-factory programme and develop it to employ about 800 workers to reduce the unemployment rate in this area,” he said.
Commendation
Otobuor Djan, who is also the Akuapem Adontenhene, commended the government for the various interventions, particularly the free senior high school policy.
He urged parents to take advantage of the policy by ensuring that they enrolled their children in school, saying the students must also study hard to justify the investment made in them.
Collaboration
Hajia Mahama said efforts were being made to rejuvenate the Aburi Botanical Gardens, and that the government was collaborating with investors on the way forward for the national asset.
“Some investors have shown interest and already gone to the gardens to do their designs and we will soon be hearing positively from them,” she added.
She expressed the hope that soon the gardens would become a major tourist centre to boost the mobilisation of revenue for the development of the area and the country.
