He said while they had the constitutional right to demonstrate to draw attention and demand accountability from duty bearers, they had no right to cast insinuations and assassinate the character of such duty bearers.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu, who is also the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, was speaking at the end of year meeting of the house in Sunyani last Thursday.

He, however, advised the government to consider the demands of some Ghanaian social media commentators who had been very critical in their demands for a better Ghana.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu's admonition was in reference to a recent demonstration by some residents of Sunyani to demand for better roads, the construction of a new stadium and the completion of the Sunyani Airport, among other demands.

The demonstrators later presented their petition to the Bono Regional House of Chiefs.

Genuine demands

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said the demands of the demonstration were genuine and required the attention of the government.

He referred to the Berekum-Drobo-Sampa highway, the Sunyani-Kotokrom-Yawhima stretch of the Sunyani-Techiman highway and the Odomase-Seikwa-Badu road, among other things, which needed immediate attention.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said the snail’s pace in the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport was a source of concern for all, especially the business communities in the regions who had to endure long trips to Accra to transact their business.

While commending the government for the construction of a youth resource centre at Dormaa-Ahenkro, he stated that Sunyani as the Bono Regional capital needed a modern stadium to enable it to host both local and international football matches.

"As a matter of urgency, we demand that the government should up its game. It is not fair for other regional capitals to be provided with airports while the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport has taken such a long time to be completed," Osagyefo Agyemang Badu stated.

Response

In her response, the Bono Regional Minister, Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, said while it was true that the Minister of Finance announced in the 2022 budget that the Sunyani Coronation Park would be rehabilitated, there was also a provision in the budget that a new stadium would be constructed.

She also stated that works were ongoing for the rehabilitation of some Sunyani town roads under the Sinohydro credit facility.

Barring any last minute hitches, she also announced that the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport would be completed and handed over by the end of January 2022.

Madam Owusu-Banahene said her doors were open for suggestions and ideas and appealed to people in the region not to hesitate to knock on her doors for deliberations for the good of the region.