info@businessghana.com
President John Dramani Mahama has assured traditional leaders of his commitment to bring massive development projects to them through the Big Push policy.
He said successive governments had tried to bring some forms of development to the regions, but he was ready to collaborate with chiefs to transform their communities and villages in the sharing of the national cake.
In a speech read on his behalf at the 2025 Annual Ngmayem Festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Manya Jorpanya in the Shai Osudoku Traditional area last Saturday, the President gave an assurance that also made it clear that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government would create the enabling environment to attract investors into the respective traditional areas to create jobs for the youth and boost the economy.
“Since the chiefs are the custodians of the lands, there is a need to provide them a portion of the national cake from the government through the establishment of basic amenities,” President Mahama said in his speech read on his behalf by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Shai Osudoku, Ignatius Dordoe.
The Ngmayem Festival is observed to mark the end of a famine experienced by their forebears. It is also used to pray for bumper harvest in the coming farming season.
During the period, millet is sprinkled on the people to indicate the end of the famine.
This year’s celebration, held on the theme: ‘Upholding our Cultural Values in the Digital Era’, climaxed with vibrant displays of culture and tradition, including dance performances, drumming, and poetry recitals by the Dodowa Forest Talking Drummers, among others.
It attracted the people of the area, the Chief of Numesi, Nene Teye Kwasi Agyemang Okukrubour, and other well-wishers.
President Mahama commended the Chief of Manya Jorpanya, Nene Tei-Djahene Korabo IV, who is also the Senior Asafoatse of the Shai Traditional State, and celebrated him for the strides he made during the 27 years of his reign as the chief of Manya Jorpanya.
He stated that the Shai area was known to be an agricultural zone, but through his vision and hard work, he had transformed the area into an industrial hub, making the place the pride of
Shai Osudoku Traditional Area, creating numerous job opportunities for the teeming youth in the town and surrounding communities.
He assured him that the government would ensure that all the deplorable roads in the area, including the two-kilometre stretch from Manya Jorpanya to the Shai Hills main road, Doryumu to Ayikuma and other roads in the area, would be developed under the “Big Push policy”.
In his address, Nene Korabo appealed to the government to fulfil all the promises made to the chiefs and people of Shai.
He further appealed to the government to continue to resource the security agencies to protect lives and property, adding: “A peaceful environment will birth a developed Ghana”.
“As custodians of the land, we are ready to partner the government and all development partners, including investors, to provide basic amenities for their people to encourage them to also give their best to boost the economy,” Nene Korabo added.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, whose speech was read on her behalf by Simon Kwaku Tetteh, also assured the chief of her support by opening the region up to a massive development agenda through the provision of safe and reliable social amenities to make the place habitable.
