The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo has assured the chiefs and people of Tema of government’s resolve to put in place a committee that will lead in employment generation for the indigenes in the Tema Traditional Area.
The committee will comprise of a representative of the Tema Traditional Council, Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Office of the President.
Mr Osafo Marfo acknowledged the sacrifice the people of Tema have made to the development the country by offering their land to be used as the industrial city hence the need to negotiate a quota system with industries regarding jobs for the indigenes.
The Senior Minister was speaking at the annual Kplejoo festival at Tema Manhean. It was dubbed: ‘Sixty years of resettlement; an occasion for reviving our customs and cultural practices’.
Kplejoo is like the annual Homowo festival and during this celebration, traditional priests and priestesses cleanse their various stools and pray to them for bountiful food and fish. The Kplejoo is celebrated over two days.
The Friday of the Kpelejoo festival, is called Sakumo Kplee. On that day, the Sakumo Wulomo, Nii Ashiboi Kofi presides over the festivities which are celebrated by a carnival with drumming and dancing amidst display of flags. The second day is known as Tsaade Kplee which is superintended by the Tema Mantse, Osongar Nii Adjei Kraku who doubles as a priest. Celebrants clad in white to signify purity and victory showed up in their numbers to make merry and renew their brotherliness and unity among themselves.
Kplejoo celebration is song and drum-based and during the festival, special songs are sang by mostly the youth to inspire them on their accomplishments. The festival affords the youth an opportunity to express their resentment, criticise the wrong doings of people in authority including the chief and elders through especially composed songs. Mr. Osafo Marfo said his office will lead in constituting a committee to find a solution to the challenges confronting the indigenes of Tema.
The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus Glover who is also the Deputy Minister of Transport expressed concerned over lack socio-economic and infrastructure development in the Tema Manhean.
He noted that under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Adoo, the area is seeing massive infrastructure development particularly road network.
The Paramount Chief of Tema, Osongar Nii Adjei Krakue commended the people particularly the Senior Minister for his kind words and called on him to fulfill the promise of the area given a quote by way of employment and advised the people especially the youth to eschew violence and leave in harmony.
