Kufuor's Rural Development Commended By ER Chiefs

A number of chiefs in the Eastern Region have commended President J.A. Kufuor and his government for pursuing a vigorous rural development agenda, which is impacting positively on the living standards of people in their respective communities.

They also commended the President for his tolerance and leadership style, which they said had contributed towards the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the country.

The chiefs gave the commendation at separate durbars organised in honour of the President during his four-day visit to the Eastern Region.The commendation of chiefs in the Eastern Region comes after some chiefs in the Central and Western regions have also given the President a pat on his shoulders for doing a good job so far.

The President, who was accompanied by Nana Akufo Addo, the Foreign Minister; Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, the Interior Minister; Mr Kwamena Bartels, the Minister for Private Sector Development and Dr Francis Osafo Mensah, the Eastern Regional Minister, visited 13 towns and villages.At all the places, the President and his entourage received a warm welcome from enthusiastic party supporters and well wishers.

All the separate durbars, the chiefs said within the relatively short time that the government had been in office, it had either constructed or rehabilitated roads, health centres, water supply systems and schools in their areas and described such achievements by the government as very encouraging and remarkable but appealed to the President to maintain the momentum of rural development.

While commending the government for initiating a number of development projects in the Kwahu area at a durbar at Abetifi, Daasebre Akumoah Boateng, the Paramount chief of the Kwahu Traditional Area, appealed to the President to change the name of Afram Plains District to Kwahu North District to reflect the wishes of the people and the proper geographic description of the area.

He said it was a contradiction and misnomer that there existed Kwahu South District but the northern part of the area which should have been called Kwahu North District, had been designated as Afram Plains District.The Kwahumanhene further appealed to the government to rehabilitate the Nkawkaw-Obomeng-Mpraeso road and the Mpraeso township roads.

President Kufuor gave the assurance that the government would make efforts to address some of the concerns of the traditional authority.During a courtesy call on Dassebre Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, President Kufuor explained some of the policies being pursued by the government to solve some of the problems in the country and expressed the government's desire to co-operate with traditional authorities in the country's development process.

Daasebre Oti Boateng expressed appreciation to the government for its efforts at national development and expressed the hope that the water problem in Koforidua would be solved.At Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District, Kpetekple Nene Narh Dawutey Ologo IV, Konor of Yilo Krobo Traditional Area,praised the government for building schools, roads and health facilities in the area.Nene Dawutey Ologo said water supply in the Somanya township was inconsistent and appealed to the government to solve the problem.

Responding, President Kufuor pledged to ask the Minister of Works and Housing and the Ghana Water Company to study the problem and find a solution to it.He further explained efforts being made by the government to strengthen the Ghana Police Service and assured the people that he would ask the Interior Minister to address the problem of grave looting.At Odumase Krobo in the Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite II, in an address read on his behalf, said,“We in the Upper Manya area wish to express our appreciation to your government for the number of development projects we have benefited from”.

“We are enjoying all these development projects due to the prevailing peace in the country”.Your role as a peace maker in the sub-region is sincerely acknowledged and we praise you profoundly for this achievement,” he said “The peace and stability of our dear country is attributed to your patience and tolerance,” he added.