Akufo-Addo’s gov’t major preoccupation is community development – Chieftaincy Minister

The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum has said the major concentration of the Akufo-Addo administration is to see to excessive developments in all communities across the country.

This he says has become the necessity of this government because it would go a long way to promote growth and betterment of each citizen in ways for everyone to “have their fair share of government’s programs and projects.”

He made this known in his inaugural speech on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at the Kloyosi Kplemi festival celebration at Yilo Klo in the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly.

“Chiefs and traditional authority are an important nexus in many areas of our national development endeavours, and indeed without the participation of our Chiefs, we would not make much progress. It is for this reason, that government is deepening its partnership with chiefs and the Chieftaincy Institution, to prosecute its development programe and in so doing, ensure that the citizen enjoys the benefits of the numerous programs that the government is implementing.”

He added, “This community, like many communities in our country would in the normal scheme of things wish to have all the necessary indicators of development: schools, hospitals, roads, good agricultural practices and so on. This is government‘s major preoccupation and in due cause, each community, would have their fair share of government’s programs and projects. So, we stretch a hand to you, to be in tune with government even as it strives through its policies to satisfy all our needs”.

Peace

Mr. Kum further made a passionate appeal to the community people to use the festival celebration to always be conscious of and measured in the tone and context of their utterances to consolidate the prevailing peace in the country.

He said peace has become one the greatest attainment on earth, hence the need for the people and Chiefs to work towards protecting the gains made so far in the country’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.

“This festival must bring us the joy and the peace we need and importantly galvanise our collective effort in building and sustaining for ourselves a country that we love. Though this festival is taking place here in Yilo Klo its impact must be felt outside this community and enable us reflect on how rich festivals and celebration of culture as the Kloyosi Kplemi, can engender in us the spirit of patriotism, a sense of belonging, a desire for hope of the good things to come, an inate feeling of brotherliness, friendship and love for country.

“We cannot separate the Chieftaincy institution from the expression of our cultures and values, and the fact that we are gathered here in celebrating this beautiful and unique festival gives us hope that our traditional authority would find space within themselves and have a zero tolerance for chieftaincy disputes. Indeed, the traditional authority have through time-tested customary practices, overcome some of the challenges that in the mind of the citizens perceive the institution as one replete with disputes and so I am of the firm belief that, the mechanism that have sustained the entirety of our traditional Authority can indeed be employed to solve the challenges, so that the Chieftaincy institution become even more revered and respected.”

About Kloyosi Kpleme

The festival was created in 1992 by the people of Yilo Krobo to commemorate the Centenary of their eviction from the Krobo Mountain. This purpose gave the event its name – Kloyosikplemi meaning ‘The Descent from Krobo Mountain’.

The Mountain itself was very important for the Krobo people, it was their home for hundreds of years and their ritual centre. The Mountain is still used today for pilgrimages during special festivals.