Mamfe-Akuapem, Jan. 18, GNA - The Mamfe-Akuapem township in the Eastern Region is to establish a task force to curb the menace posed by wee smoking and gambling among the youth. The task force would be responsible for arresting and prosecution of offenders. The Mamfehene, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III, announced this at the durbar to climax the annual "Ohum" festival of the Chiefs and people on Saturday. He deplored the havoc such social vices were having on the discipline and potentials of the youth at the expense of their education and moral lives and warned parents to advice their wards to stop the addiction or face prosecution when caught. Nana Sasraku, who is also the Kyidomhene of the Akuapem Traditional area, who declared this year as a "Year of Action", for the development of the town, announced that a Mamfe Congress is to be held later this year to tap ideas and resources of the citizenry, both home and abroad, to implement a seven-year development plan. On this year's election, Nana Sasraku reminded the people that they were all one people who should not allow political differences to create animosity among them to ensure a peaceful election.
He asked the people, especially the youth, to abstain from causal sex, while the married should stick to their spouses to avoid contracting the HIV/AIDS virus, which he noted, was "a devastating killer disease".
The District Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Dr (Mrs) Eugenia Danquah-Quist, mentioned development projects being undertaken in the town by the Assembly over the past three years, saying a ten-seater water-closet facility was inaugurated the previous day which was the first of the ten HIPC-funded projects to be completed in the district. She said the Assembly had spent two billion cedis in collaboration with the DANIDA, JICA, the European Union, USAD and the Department of International Development (DID)on various education projects. According to her, the Assembly has also granted scholarships to 185 students and pupils from the basic to tertiary levels, while another 34 million cedis was being spent on students in teacher training colleges. She asked the communities in the district to rekindle the communal labour spirit to speed up development. The Krontihene of Akropong, Osahene Ofei Kwasi Agyeman, who chaired the function commended the Mamfehene for being among the Chiefs in the traditional area, working to recapture the unity and peace among the chiefs and people. Jan. 18, 04
