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13.06.2004 General News

Aliu cuts sod for Osuwem-Agortor-Nyigbenya road

13.06.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Osuwem (GAR), June 13, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama, on Saturday cut the sod for work to begin on the 25-kilometre Osuwem-Agortor-Nyigbenya road in the Dangbe West District at the cost of 2.8 billion cedis and assured the people that the Government would continue to implement projects to better their standard of living. The road was very significant because it provided accessibility to large tracts of arable land suitable for all types of agricultural activity and constituted a vital link between Osudoku and Ningo. It would open up the areas for vibrant economic activity. Vice President Mahama was addressing at a grand durbar at Osuwem in the Dangbe West District to climax the annual Dzehayem Festival of the chiefs and people.

Government has so far implemented 25 projects in the areas of education, health, infrastructure and other areas provided under the Government.

Vice President Mahama urged the people of Osudoku to exercise restraint while the Government determined their petitions on the status of Akuse and their request to place it under the Greater Accra Region. "As you may be aware, the creation or alteration of boundaries of a region has to be done in accordance with the 1992 Constitution," he reminded them.

"As a first step, The President has referred this matter to the National Commission on Chieftaincy and the Council of State for advice." Vice President Mahama told them that in line with the Government's policy to push the private sector to transform the economy, strategic investors were being sought for divestiture of the Asutsuare Sugar Factory and expressed the hope that the factory would be revamped soon to provide job opportunities and create wealth for the people. He said the request for investigations into the sale of the assets of the factory, which they described as 'looting' would also be taken up.

On the people's caution that they would not tolerate any more attack on them from Manya Krobo as those that happened on May 1 and 3, Vice President Mahama advised them to resist violence, as it never solved problems.

"You should endeavour to co-exist peacefully with your neighbours and work towards advancing the progress and development of this traditional area," he advised.

"The bitter lesson of conflicts in other areas should remind us that nothing good could be achieved through violence." He, however, assured them that the Regional Security Council had put in place adequate measures to forestall the recurrence of the Akuse disturbances, adding, "we shall not compromise protecting our people and the security agencies have been instructed to keep the peace in this area."

Mr K.T.K.Agban, the District Chief Executive of Dangme West District, said other projects, which were inherited by government would be continued, including the construction of the Asutsuare D/A Primary B Block, Asutsuare Estate Primary School Block and extension of electricity to Osuwem, Lanor, Volivo and Kajanya.

He said, through the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, credit schemes had been provided to generate employment, while fishermen had also been supported with fishing gear.

Different cultural groups entertained the guests at the durbar to round off the festival, which began in the last week of February. Nene Klagbordjor Animle V, Paramount Chief of Osudoku Traditional Area, in his welcoming address commended government for the numerous development projects so far implemented, adding that the keen interest towards development in the area was demonstrated in the two visits of the President as well as that of the Vice President and pledged their support to the Government.

He mentioned the rehabilitation and tarring of roads in the district, especially the Esutuary-Tokpo to Aveyime road.

Nene Animle reiterated his petition to the Government to expedite action on their long-standing request to determine whether the people of Osudoku or Manya Krobo were the original settlers of Akuse.

Additionally, they have requested that a Presidential Commission be set up to determine "a just and definitive boundary between the two traditional areas with regard to ethnic, cultural, traditional, contiguity and other considerations of affinity."

The people of Osudoku, which literally means "the scar" left by the migration of their people to present day Osu in Accra, celebrate the Dzehayem Festival to physically replace the fence walls of their Ablao shrine and to bring families together to settle disputes and plan the progress of the area.

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