The Chiefs and people of Agona Kwanyaku in the Agona East District of the Central Region have unveiled their 2024 Annual Akwambo festival to raise funds for the construction of a multipurpose community centre.
The 2024 Akwambo festival aimed at bringing the people together to strengthen peace and reconciliation will be held under the theme: ‘’ unifying for development. ‘’
Mr Frank Kwesi Ocran, Chairman of the Akwambo Planning Committee, said the festival was being celebrated for the first time in four years, after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said chieftaincy dispute raised its ugly head right after the pandemic, completely shattering the unity and peace of the town.
The Committee Chairman expressed gratitude to the Agona Nyakrom Omanhene, Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku X, who set up a committee to settle the dispute amicably, bringing absolute peace and stability to the town.
Mr Ocran thanked all who in diverse ways played special roles, including Prof Kofi Anokye, Nana Kojo Frimpong, Prof Richard Asiedu and many others for uniting the people in the Area.
He said the planning committee was levying individuals and other identifiable groups to help raise funds to construct the multipurpose community centre.
According to the Committee Chairman, apart from that every household was to pay GHC10.00 as special levy to get more resources to undertake the project.
Mr Ocran said the project expected to be completed in 2025, consist of a funeral ground, table tennis court, offices for the chiefs, cultural centre and many others.
He made an appeal to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona East and the District Chief Executive (DCE), who are natives of the town to support the project to take off.
The programme of activities for the Akwambo festival will start on Thursday September 12, 2024, with drafts, cards and table tennis competition, there will be a clean-up exercise on Friday, September 13, among other programme line ups.
Mrs Janet Odei Paintsil, the District Chief Executive for Agona East, together with Mrs Hannah Asamoah, Parliamentary Candidate for New Patriotic Party (NPP), pledged 100 bags of cement to support the project.
The DCE announced that she and the PC would also donate substantial amount of money to the planning committee to ensure the project’s early completion.
She disclosed that the Agona Kwanyaku market project was progressing steadily and expected to be completed and handed over before end of November 2024.
Mrs Paintsil said the Agona East District would soon take delivery of road construction machines from the Central government to help reshape all deplorable roads to facilitate transportation of goods and services.
The DCE reiterated calls for the people of Agona Kwanyaku and entire districts to vote massively for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, NPP presidential Candidate and Mrs Hannah Asamoah, Parliamentary Candidate to continue their good policies and programmes.
Mrs Queenstar Pokua Sawyer, MP for Agona East on her part, said she had authorised the DCE to release GHC 50,000 from her common fund to support the community centre project.
The MP renewed her calls on the chiefs and people to unite since peace was key to development.
Mrs Sawyer touted achievements of the NDC government under former President John Dramani Mahama and urged the people of Agona Kwanyaku to vote for him as president and same for her as MP for Agona East on December 7, 2024.
Nana Ekow Quansah, the first Chief of Fantes in the USA, urged the chiefs and people of Kwanyaku to embrace peace and reconciliation and assured that residents living in the US would support the project initiated by the people.
Nana Quansah, who is also a military Officer in US Army, pledged to mobilise residents to pull resources together to help give the town a facelift.