The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has resolved to make the area the hub of forest regeneration and expansion.
The Council has, therefore, announced as part of measures of the regeneration and expansion efforts, the establishment of a seedling distribution centre at Kyebi, the traditional capital of the area.
This was disclosed at the 2nd Quarter State Council meeting to discuss various opportunities that would help in the development of the traditional area.
The Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who is also the head of the Traditional Council, announced at the session that a seedling centre project will be set up in Kyebi within the next three months to distribute seedlings for tree planting throughout Akyem Abuakwa lands.
“Okyeman is well recognised for its dense forest in the region; thus it is crucial to keep up with maintenance, safeguard these forests and provide our environment with a canopy of trees,” he said.
According to the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the initiative seeks to support government’s efforts to increase tree planting to preserve and safeguard the country’s forests and the environment.
He warned Okyeman chiefs against engaging in fraudulent land transactions since it could spark land tenure disputes, resentment and instability.
He also advised them to refrain from actions that would undermine Okyeman’s interests in the traditional area, adding that if chiefs continued their preposterous behaviour, the traditional area would be deprived of the resources required for progress.
He said chiefs must do well to steer clear of chieftaincy conflicts, which had the tendency to push back the progress of development by, among other things, frustrating customary procedures causing undue tension and destroying social relationships.
He further urged the chiefs and people to join the national fight against illegal mining (Galamsey), emphasising that it had polluted the Pra and Birim rivers and that, if no action was taken soon, the rivers will become extremely polluted.
He also urged parents to enrol their children in school, as that it would prevent them from getting involved with illegal mining activities, adding that education was essential for development.
This is because it enables individuals to acquire a variety of skills, knowledge and competencies that increase their chances of obtaining a job and raise the standard of living in their communities.
Okyehene also said the traditional council provided local students with scholarship opportunities and applauded the Government’s efforts for the Free Senior High School, but encouraged parents to use all available resources to fund their children’s education.
He further advised the queen mothers to recognise the limits of their authority in relation to the chiefs and to legitimately submit to them, but added that the chiefs should treat their queen mothers with respect and restraint in their dealings with them.
He announced that efforts were being made to open the “Amoatia Ofori Panin Basic Schools” by August.
GNA
