Chiefs urged to lead investment promotion efforts

Offinso (Ash), April 2, GNA - Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Omanhene of Offinso, has urged his colleague chiefs to lead efforts at attracting investments to their communities to give jobs and fight poverty.

They should not only be interested in protecting the nation's cultural heritage but in also playing key roles in helping to make things better for the people, he said.

He made the call at the launch of the Offinso State Book Project, under which the history, line of succession and economic potential of the traditional area are being properly documented.

The activity would be carried across the entire country and the goal is to assist bring down chieftaincy disputes and promote economic development.

The project, a government initiative, is being jointly undertaken by the National Commission on Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and other supporting organisations.

It would provide authentic information about the traditional systems and institutions, histories of major divisions and sub-divisions, towns and villages, major commercial centres, festivals, genealogy of the royal families, government agencies and economic potentials, educational institutions and the development aspirations of the people.

In view of this, a state reference book for each traditional area detailing the needed facts to facilitate development would be created.

Nana Wiafe Akenten, therefore, invited all to get deeply involved in the project to check disturbing disputes over vacant stools and skins, often fuelled by distortion of historical facts.

He said he had no doubt that the initiative, which had been on-going for the past three years, would tremendously help to speed up the development of the traditional areas.

'I entreat Nananom to embrace this project for our own good,' he appealed.

Mr. Isaac Bright Botchway, Coordinator of the Project, said to ensure speedy work, they had formed a working group.

He said, so far, the Project had completed its work in the Awutu and Techiman Traditional Areas and was now in Offinso and Dormaa.

GNA