The Paramount Chief of Santrokofi Traditional Area in the Hohoe Municipality, Nana Lestabi II, has called on investors to exploit the huge granite and sand deposits in the area.
The deposits, he said, were critical in the construction industry, and therefore, urged road and housing sectors to look for an investor to establish a quarry in the area.
Nana Lestabi made the call when he addressed a durbar of chiefs and people of the area as part of activities to climax the Okyonsa festival at Santrokofi-Benua.
It had the theme: “Okyonsa festival: A tool for uniting people for development and progress”.
The festival, which was revived after its last celebration in 1983, marked the period of out-dooring young girls who have been taken through puberty rites and prepared for marriage.
Historically, the people of Santrokofi, who are Guans, migrated from Aneho in the Republic of Benin, formerly Dahomey, and settled on Mountain Olekpo before moving to their present site in 1901 in search for access to education and suitable farmlands.
At the durbar to climax the festival, 14 citizens were honoured for their contributions to the development of the area.
Nana Lestabi said the festival had been revived to serve as a unifying force and raise funds for development projects in the area.
He stated that this year, the people would build a traditional council hall and office complex, rehabilitate the school blocks in the community and tackle the late Reverend Father Apietu’s Vocational School project.
Nana Lestabi appealed to the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Prince Jacob Hayibor, and the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Victor Condobbery, to rehabilitate the five-kilometre road from Benua to the forest reserve boundary line to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs to the marketing centres.
Commenting on the theme for the festival, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alex Asum Ahensah, said unity was dear to the heart of President Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
He said it was only through unity traditional area and that of the nation could be developed.
“It is only in unity that we can fight poverty and build a better nation”, he said.
The Hohoe MCE, Mr Condobbery, also hammered on unity which, he said, would stimulate development and progress.
He said, “You will agree with me that a lot of development programmes and projects have either been abandoned in some areas of the district as a result of protracted chieftaincy disputes”.
An amount of GH¢ 3, 015 was realised for the construction of a permanent traditional council hall and offices.
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