The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, has called on chiefs and people of the Eastern region, most especially players within the chieftaincy institution to, as a matter of urgency, find lasting solutions to unresolved chieftaincy disputes.
According to the minister, chieftaincy disputes have become a threat to the peace and stability of the region and that it would be in the best interest of all and sundry to find lasting solutions to them.
“Chieftaincy disputes, when left unresolved, have the potential to disrupt the peace and stability of our communities,” she said.
“I wish to reassure you that the government will continue to support efforts to mediate, provide legal clarity and foster dialogue so that any conflict can be resolved amicably,” she added.
She made the call at a rescheduled end-of-year meeting of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs (ERHCs) held at the Ofori Panyin Fie in Kyebi on Thursday.
Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey expressed her commitment to maintaining peace and security in the region through collaboration, safety and well-being of all traditional authorities.
On festivals
The Regional Minister noted that one of the greatest potentials in the region wasits rich culture and traditions and charged the traditional leaders to capitalise on festivals to create wealth and health for their people.
Providing the strategic roadmap for the potentials of festivals, the Eastern Regional Minister called on the traditional leaders to rebrand and repackage all festivals to attract more tourists and boost the local economy.
She said these festivals did not only serve as an important part of the cultural identity of the region, but also represent significant economic opportunities, particularly in tourism.
Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey continued that, “we have a responsibility to ensure that our festivals are well-packaged and promoted not only as an avenue for cultural exchange, but also to add to the tourist attractions in the region, attracting both local and international visitors.
Together we can organise these festivals in a way that celebrates our heritage, bring people together and creates sustainable economic growth for our communities.”
Vision for education
Touching on education, she expressed her commitment to quality education since it is the foundation upon which a brighter future could be built for children and generations to come.
“In this regard, I will work closely with all of you to ensure that we address any educational challenges in our communities – whether it is about infrastructure, teachers, teaching materials, parental care, etc, that will improve access to quality education”.
She revealed that her administration would focus on encouraging more local involvement in educational programmes, particularly in the promotion of cultural education among young people to ensure that they grow up with a strong sense of heritage and pride in their roots.
