Peki Dzake (Volta Region), 7 Dec '98 - Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills has appealed to traditional rulers and their communities to create a congenial atmosphere to attract potential investors. "We must rid our communities of disputes and offer prospective investors the needed co-operation that will attract them to their areas. We must also be prepared to modernize some of our cultural practices and usages concerning land acquisition and tenure to enable us to win investors to our communities. "Certainly, no investor is interested in getting involved in long delays and complex disputes over land," Professor Mills told a durbar of chiefs at Peki Dzake to climax their annual "Gbidukorza" festival. It was on the theme : "Gbidukorza for greater development-- the way forward". Gbidukorza was instituted in 1995 to symbolize the historic reunion of the Peki and Gbi traditional areas as a people of common ancestry but who, as a result of historical and geographical circumstances, are separated in location. The durbar, which was marked with colourful cultural display, also provided a platform for the two communities to "mobilise their fortunes in one basket" towards the development of their communities. Apart from sustaining unity among the two sides, the festival is also used to sell to the outside world tourism potentials of the area. Prominent among chiefs at the durbar grounds were Togbega Gabusu the Fourth and Togbega Kwadzo Dei the Eleventh, paramount chiefs of Gbi and Peki Traditional areas respectively. Togbega Kwadzo Dei chaired the function witnessed by dignitaries from home and abroad including diplomats, politicians and the clergy. Prof Mills cited the various trips undertaken by the President to attract investment, saying they have started yielding positive results hence the need for prompt response to investor interests. He commended the two peoples for their efforts at mutual development and peace through the consolidation of their links. He urged them to have the courage and determination to struggle against all odds in order to achieve their set goals. Prof Mills said government's support for and patronage of festivals will be enhanced if they contribute towards alleviating the problems of the communities. He said while government alone cannot adequately provide all the needs of the people, it will continue to provide the desired leadership and the enabling environment for the realisation of national goals and aspirations, using the available human and material resources at its disposal. He told the gathering that government has embarked on an elaborate economic liberalization programme which is aimed at removing bottlenecks that had hitherto militated against the realisation of the potentials of the individual, the community and the entrepreneurial group. Prof Mills spoke against the practice where young people are engaged in drug abuse and trafficking and asked the chiefs and the youth to get down to action against the upsurge of this social menace.
Peki Dzake (Volta Region), 7 Dec '98 - Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills has appealed to traditional rulers and their communities to create a congenial atmosphere to attract potential investors. "We must rid our communities of disputes and offer prospective investors the needed co-operation that will attract them to their areas. We must also be prepared to modernize some of our cultural practices and usages concerning land acquisition and tenure to enable us to win investors to our communities. "Certainly, no investor is interested in getting involved in long delays and complex disputes over land," Professor Mills told a durbar of chiefs at Peki Dzake to climax their annual "Gbidukorza" festival. It was on the theme : "Gbidukorza for greater development-- the way forward". Gbidukorza was instituted in 1995 to symbolize the historic reunion of the Peki and Gbi traditional areas as a people of common ancestry but who, as a result of historical and geographical circumstances, are separated in location. The durbar, which was marked with colourful cultural display, also provided a platform for the two communities to "mobilise their fortunes in one basket" towards the development of their communities. Apart from sustaining unity among the two sides, the festival is also used to sell to the outside world tourism potentials of the area. Prominent among chiefs at the durbar grounds were Togbega Gabusu the Fourth and Togbega Kwadzo Dei the Eleventh, paramount chiefs of Gbi and Peki Traditional areas respectively. Togbega Kwadzo Dei chaired the function witnessed by dignitaries from home and abroad including diplomats, politicians and the clergy. Prof Mills cited the various trips undertaken by the President to attract investment, saying they have started yielding positive results hence the need for prompt response to investor interests. He commended the two peoples for their efforts at mutual development and peace through the consolidation of their links. He urged them to have the courage and determination to struggle against all odds in order to achieve their set goals. Prof Mills said government's support for and patronage of festivals will be enhanced if they contribute towards alleviating the problems of the communities. He said while government alone cannot adequately provide all the needs of the people, it will continue to provide the desired leadership and the enabling environment for the realisation of national goals and aspirations, using the available human and material resources at its disposal. He told the gathering that government has embarked on an elaborate economic liberalization programme which is aimed at removing bottlenecks that had hitherto militated against the realisation of the potentials of the individual, the community and the entrepreneurial group. Prof Mills spoke against the practice where young people are engaged in drug abuse and trafficking and asked the chiefs and the youth to get down to action against the upsurge of this social menace. Mr Kwesi Aboagye, deputy Volta Regional Minister who stood in for Colonel Charles Agbenaza, out-going regional minister, exhorted the people of the two traditional areas to review their customary practices to suit modern trends. Mr Aboagye lauded the peoples' stride towards mutual development and urged them to build upon it. In his welcoming address, Togbega Gabusu recalled the common links of the two traditional areas which date back to their ancestral home in Notsie in the Republic of Togo. He said, by the reunion, the two sides are prepared to put their fortunes in one basket, "a big and safe bread basket" that will forever help to change and shape the areas and the people's themselves. Togbega Gabusu expressed appreciation for government's support to developments in the area but said a lot more needs to be done to tap potentials for investment. He cited the major setback to the area's development as the lack of basic socio-economic infrastructure, particularly roads, adding: "there is not a single asphalt road in the area". Apart from facilitating transport of food from the hinterland, he said good roads will create easy access to tourist sites in the region, citing the Hohoe-Kete Krachi-Yendi trunk road as one such stretch that needs urgent rehabilitation. Other constraints are lack of potable water and ineffective postal and communication services as well as lack of adequate residential accommodation. Tourist potentials of the area include the Wli water falls, limestone caves at Logba, and Mount Afadzato, Ghana's highest mountain. The queenmothers later presented a symbolic stool to Vice-President Mills in an appreciation of the government's commitment to the area.
