Essikado Celebrates Kuntum

The chiefs and people of the Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region have celebrated their annual Kuntum festival on the theme, "The nature of corruption and morality in indigenous African community in nation building."

Kuntum is a festival celebrated by the Ahantas and Nzemas in the Western Region and spreads across into Cote d'Ivoire, hooting at hunger to signify the period of a bumper harvest.

The paramount chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V appealed to the security agencies to seriously monitor the Ghanaian water bodies, because any terrorist attack on the water bodies would mean total disaster to the entire nation.

He said a good number of Ghanaians living along the coastal belt depended on the water bodies for their livelihood and there was the need to safeguard them.

Nana Nketsia said Ghanaians needed to sacrifice for the development of the nation but if people continued to be very selfish, the country would never move forward.

The paramount chief bemoaned the many conflicts and disputes in the Ahantaland and Ghana as a whole, adding "the place is becoming feudal and this will drive potential visitors away from the land."

The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah said everybody knew corruption was a bad practice because it made those who did not have to suffer and "we cannot continue to glorify poverty to the advantage of the rich."

He suggested the celebration of a regional festival where all the various traditional councils would parade their rich cultures.

The president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyehoho Yaw Gyebi II who is also the paramount chief of Sefwi Ahwiahso said though the region was divided, the division was to bring development and not separation, adding that, "Western North Region would continue to collaborate with the Western Region to accelerate the development of both regions."

Nana Gyebi advised the youth to stop stowaway because there were no jobs in Europe and America, and encouraged them to stay home and help to develop the nation.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi, Mr K K Sam said the main challenge in the metropolis was the management of sanitation and appealed to the people to support the assembly to keep the metropolis clean.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Effia-Kwesiminstim, Mr Kojo Acquah lauded the celebration of the Kuntum because it was a sure way to maintain the values and tenets of the cultural heritage of the people, adding "it will help the youth to understand our culture."

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