Chiefs of Ave-Havi told to unite for development

The youth of Ave-Havi in the Akatsi North District has appealed to their chiefs and elders to unite towards the development of their area.

According to the youth, the area cannot develop in an atmosphere of bickering and conflict, and that, the best way to develop as a people was to “stay together, plan together and implement fine ideas together.”

Speaking at a day's seminar organised for chiefs and elders on the theme, "Uniting traditional leaders for development", Mr Anthony Kwaku Amoah, Secretary of the Ave-Havi Youth Association, urged their chiefs and elders to be agents of development and not destroyers.

He said being custodians of community lands, culture and tradition, chiefs should endeavour to live lives worthy of praise and emulation by their subjects and added that, "Pupils and young adults in school today would want to see how pouring of libation is done, how our Torgbuis would respond to the talking drum and how our history looks. Litigations and conflicts have no place in our community."

Mr Amoah said conflicts and war were inimical to the forward march of any community and appealed to the chiefs and elders to always strive to maintain peace and unity in their areas for development.

Dr Stephen Torkpo, a patron of the youth association, also emphasised the need for collaboration between chiefs and development partners in order to facilitate the development of their areas.

He charged participants to use their maturity and experience in life to help the youth to make informed choices and to lead lives that are useful and productive, adding, "Chiefs elsewhere are doing it and I trust that our chiefs can also do it and even better".

Mr. Richard Tsisah, chairman of the association, assured the participants of the willingness of the youth to assist in their bid to develop the area.

Dumega Besa Zebede, an opinion leader, on behalf of the chiefs and elders, thanked the youth for their commitment and hard work and urged them to continue dialoging with them for the development of the area.