Reject Negative Western Cultural Practices, Concentrate On Your Studies – Chief tells Youth

The Paramount Chief Okere Traditional Area in the Eastern Region Nana Osuodomgya Ahonabobirim Otutu Abeibio V has advised the youth of the country to desist from negative Western Cultural practices that impact negatively on their lives as well as the culture and traditions of the country.

Instead, they should take up their studies seriously since they are the future leaders of the country. He maintained that it is the pride of every parent to see that his child propers and becomes a good citizen after investing so much on him through education.

He argued that successful citizens in the country including himself, the President, ministers and many more, have come this far as a result of education.

Nana Ababio made this admonition in an interview with this paper at his Palacial residence at Adukrom last Sunday, after the successful celebration of the Odwira Festival” the previous day, when he sat in state to receive homage, which rather turned out to be feting the people.

He stated that such negative Western cultures as, drinking, smoking, addiction to drugs, wearing of trouser on their buttocks, watching violent films among others, are not only foreign to the Ghanaian culture and tradition, but also frowned upon by Ghanaians.

The Paramount Chief pointed out that because of the importance he and his elders attach to Education, they have set up fund, “Osuodumgya Educational Fund” to cater for the brilliant but needy students in the traditional area to enable them attain their needed academic goals so as to become good citizens in future for the development of the area in particular and Ghana as a whole, stressing that even the Bible admits knowledge, which is power. He charged students to, besides acquiring knowledge, look for God and be obedient.

He commended the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe for donating GH¢20,000.00 to the fund, with the promise of topping it up by extra GH¢30,000.00 from the Educational Trust Fund.

Nana Ababio pointed out that this fund will go a long way to assist parents who could hardly make ends meet, let any seeing to the educational needs of their children. He subsequently urged all well-to-do citizens from the area to contribute meaningfully to this fund, to enable it achieve its intended purposes.

My Fist Day at School

Nana Ababio hinted that the reopening days for school are generally escaped by most students, with the idea that their friends who report on these days, should clean and tidy up the school for them to enjoy in subsequent days.

He stated that in the light of this, he and his elders decided to pay a surprise visit to basic schools in the area on “My First Day at School” to distribute to them exercises books, pens and stationery for their involvement in that days activities. This, he said, was made possible through sponsorship of friends and well-wishers.

ICT

Further stressing on the importance of Education, Nana Ababio noted that the I.C.T centre for the area was down sometime back. However, being a resourceful center where many important researches are made, he appealed to the MP, who has rehabilitated the place for educational purposes.

Development in Okyere District

The Paramount Chief once more thanked the Nana Akufo-Addo-NPP – led Administration for giving Okyere a district, as he promised no his campaign visit there a few years ago. He noted that with the creation of the district a lot of development had taken place, especially in the area of roads and the extension of electricity, which he said had gone to a number of places. Nana was however quick to point out that much need to be done to enable Okyere take to its status as a district. He called for more in such areas as employment, saying that though most of the youth have high qualification, they continue to suffer from unemployment. Nana also appealed to the MP to help curb waywardness on the part of the youth.

Recreational Center

Nana Ababio pointed out that with the elevation of Okyere to its present status, Adukrom, the District capital, should be made to stand out as such. He regretted that Adukrom should lack in such facilities regarding sports. He therefore implored the MP, District Assembly and government to do all they can to upgrade and develop the Adukrom Recreational Center. He indicated that though inspection of construction works had been done, that should not be the end of it. Instead fully completed projects should be ensured, before payments made to contractors.

Festival Theme

Nana Otutu Ababio V pointed out that, he and his elders chose the theme for the occasion “The Year of Return; Uniting, the citizenry for Development” in consonance with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s.

He noted that enslaved Black Africans gained freedom from their slave masters over 400 years ago. These freed slaves have now become knowledgeable and acquired wealth in the Americans and elsewhere, whereas their native black continent continues to wallow in poverty. It is therefore high time that they returned to their native homelands to help developments there. Nana pointed out that since one cannot do it all alone, he and his elders chose this theme to extend invitation to Okyere citizens both abroad and home, i.e within Ghana, to endeavor to come home to help in development of the area for the betterment of both Okyere in particular and Ghana as a whole.

Source: S. O. Ankamah, Adukrom, Akwapim E/R