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Rich display of culture, tradition at Ada Asafotufiami festival

•A queen mother riding in a palanquin

Culture and tradition were at its best last weekend when people from across the country thronged Ada to celebrate the annual Asafotufiami festival.

It attracted several dignitaries including chiefs, politicians and business executives.

Culture in diversity — A touch of culture

Notable among them were the President of the National House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II; Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II; President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Prof. Odaifio Welentse III and Business mogul, Dr Daniel McKorley who doubles as Development Chief of Ada by name Nene Koranteng Kabu I.

The festival was held under the theme “Upholding the discipline of our forebears for sustainable development and unity of Ada.”

In his address at the durbar on Saturday, the Paramount Chief of Ada, Jetse Abram Kabu Akuaku II acknowledged that, people of Ada and Dangme’s have a well-organised cultural identity.

He appealed to the people of the Ada State and the nation at large especially the youth to be disciplined, committed and dedicated to the human values and virtues to succeed in their collective endeavours as a people of common heritage.

Naa Bohagu mahami abdulai Sherig, the Kind of Mamprugu and some chiefs at his palace

Cultural display by some youth — Naa Bohagu mahami abdulai Sherig, the Kind of Mamprugu and some chiefs at his palace

“This is what our forebears did to leave us this great legacy of space called Ada State, from which we all proudly derive our identity and our sense of belonging as a collective and which was what informed our choice of the theme for the Asafotufiami,” he stated.

He urged all to uphold the attitude of discipline as guiding light in all they do, so tolerance, respect and the spirit of agreeing to disagree would be brought to bear on societal discourses.

He advised the youth against the rampant abuse of the social media platforms.

On his part, the Ga Mantse, King Teiku Tsuru II also urged the people of Ada to maintain the unity within the land which was crucial in promoting development.

“Let us all replicate the level of unity displayed by the chiefs and people of Ada during this festival. That is what we need to grow as a people,” he stressed.

By Michael D. Abayateye

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Reconstruction of Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile Road Corridor to Begin Under “Big Push” Initiative

The reconstruction of the Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile road corridor is set to begin in the third quarter of this year as part of the government’s “Big Push” initiative,

Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, has announced.

To this end, the Minister has directed the Ghana Highways Authority to conduct engineering studies and designs for sections of the corridor that are not currently under construction, in preparation for the upcoming work.

“This entire corridor, all the way to Hamle, is part of the ‘Big Push’ initiative. It is one of the “Big Push” projects we aim to award in June this year. Therefore, those involved in the studies and designs need to expedite their work. We don’t have enough time,” he stated.

Mr. Agbodza made these remarks this morning in Sunyani, at the start of a three-day inspection tour of the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western Regions.

The Minister indicated that government is aware of the socio-economic importance of roads towards national development, which is why road infrastructure development is being prioritized despite the financial constraints facing the country.

“No matter what we want to achieve—whether in farming, education, or healthcare—roads are critical. Our economic development cannot take shape if we do not address the challenges in the road sector,” he stressed.

Earlier, Me. Agbodza and his team of Engineers inspected the 10.20km Terchire bypass located off the Kumasi-Sunyani Highway constructed by Newmont Ghana.

During the tour, Hon. Agbodza is also expected to inspect several other road projects, including the reconstruction of the Jinijini-Sampa Road, the Tepa-Goso road, the Sefwi Wiawso town roads, the reconstruction of the Tarkwa-Agona Nkwanta road, the PTC Interchange project, and the dualization of the Takoradi-Agona Junction Road.

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Mahama assents to Acts abolishing e-levy, betting tax and others

President John Dramani Mahama has fulfilled a key campaign promise by assenting to a set of acts that abolish the betting tax, e-Levy, and emissions tax, among others.

The signing, which has just been completed, in his office marks a major step in his administration’s efforts to reduce the financial burden on Ghanaians and drive economic growth.

The removal of these taxes was a central promise in the NDC’s manifesto aimed at easing the cost of living and encouraging business expansion.

Parliament on Wednesday, March 26, passed a bill to abolish the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

The repeal of the E-Levy has been widely welcomed by Ghanaians, who strongly opposed the tax.

The levy, which was introduced in 2022 by the previous New Patriotic Party administration, imposed a 1.5% tax on electronic transactions, including mobile money transfers, bank transfers, and online payments.

Since its introduction, there have been protests and public outcry, with critics arguing that it disproportionately affected low-income earners and the unbanked population.

Source: Myjoyonline.com