Bechem climaxes Adekyem Festival
The chiefs and people of the Bechem Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region have climaxed their bi-annual ‘Adekyem’ festival with a call on the government to provide the area with the necessary infrastructure to develop the available natural resources.
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The paramount chief of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, made the call at a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the traditional area at Bechem, the Tano South District capital, last Saturday.
The Adekyem festival, which was instituted two years ago by the chiefs of the Bechem Traditional Area, celebrates the history, heritage, culture and life of the people and is used to mobilise funds for development.
The maiden edition, which was held in November 2011, was used to raise funds to establish an education fund to support the education of students who had qualified for admission to senior high schools and needed financial support.
This year’s festival was used to raise funds to embark on some development projects earmarked by the traditional council for the benefit of the people.
In his address, Nana Gyeabour Akoto also used the occasion to invite private investors to partner with the traditional council to start small-scale businesses in the area to create jobs for the people and generate wealth for development.
He assured the investor community of land, a peaceful and enabling business environment, hard-working citizens and ready market for their products.
He commended the previous government for starting the Presidential Initiative on Oil Palm in the area and the current government for continuing it, which had been of benefit to the people, but appealed for a palm oil processing factory to add value to the produce as a way of rewarding the efforts of the farmers.
The Vice-President, Mr Kwasi Amissah-Arthur, in a brief remark, commended the chiefs for instituting the festival to promote education and to develop the area.
He said education played a pivotal role in the development of every society and, therefore, urged Nananom to continue in that stead, saying chieftaincy in the modern day should be used for development and not for conflict, as was the case in the past.
Also present at the ceremony were the Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Dr Henry Seidu Danaa; the Offinsohene, Nana Wiafe Akenten V, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo; a deputy minister of Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano South, Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw; a deputy minister of Trade and Industry, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, and the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tano South, Mr Zakaria Bukari Anaba.
Others were Mr Joe Ghartey, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Esikado in the Western Region, Mr Agyarko Kyeremanten, MP for Ayawaso Wuogon in the Greater Accra Region, and Mr Gabby Nketiah, an aide to former President Kufuor.