President Mahama Appeals to Traditional Areas Battling with Conflicts to Uphold Peace

President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to traditional areas battling with conflicts to take a cue from the people of Akuapeman traditional areas.

President Mahama asked people in conflict-racked areas like Bawku, Alavanyo, Nkonya to resolve their ethnic conflicts since chieftaincy disputes and traditional conflicts only damage the people and have no room for development.

President Mahama said this on Friday, October 10 when he joined the people of Akuapem to mark this year’s Odwira Festival.

The programme, which for the first time attracted residents of all the Akuapem communities as a result of the resolution of a long-standing litigation, also attracted former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party.

Also in attendance were the Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, politicians, members of the diplomatic corps and Ghanaians in the Diaspora.

President Mahama commended the people of Okuapeman for celebrating this year's Odwira Festival in unity, a complete departure from their individual celebrations over the years.

He appealed to the people of Dagbon, Bawku, Nkonya and Alavanyo to take a cue from the re-unification of the people of Okuapeman and accept peace and unity for the advancement of the country.

The President, who congratulated Oseadeayor Addo Dankwa, Okuapehene, for his feat in the past 40 years, admonished the people against engaging in conflict, which had over the years, impoverished, maimed and retarded the progress of many.

On cholera, President Mahama challenged chiefs, health workers and opinion leaders to take up the mantle to contain the further spread of the disease in the coming days.

He said no country could progress positively with its citizenry plagued in curable and preventive diseases like cholera.

He said Ghana's engagement with the International Monetary Fund would not bring any untold hardships on the citizenry and called for the support of all to ensure a successful financial stability.

Oseadeayor Addo Dankwa thanked the people of Okuapeman for their co-operation during the litigations and gave the assurance that he would do everything possible under his powers to maintain the peace and unity they currently enjoyed.

He said he was constructing a community centre for the entire Okuapeman and appealed to all and sundry to support him to ensure the completion of the project.

Osagyefo Ofori Panin called on parents to invest in the education and other efforts of their children to empower them to become useful citizens.

The Odwira Festival is celebrated by the people of Akropong-Akuapim, Aburi, Larteh and Mamfi in the Eastern Region, 30 miles from the capital, Accra.

Akropong-Akuapim is located on the hilly areas of Eastern Region. It is also a few minutes drive from the Aburi Botanical Gardens.

The Akuapem Odwira festival was initiated by the 19th Okuapimhene of Akropong, Nana Addo Dankwa 1 (1811-1835) and was first celebrated in October 1826.

It's significance is to celebrate their victory over the invincible Ashanti army during the historic battle of Katamanso near Dodowa in 1826 and also to cleanse themselves and ask for protection from their gods.

GBC