By Nicholas Osei Wusu
The Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mrs. Akosua Fremah Osei Opare, has called on people to rekindle their communal and self-help spirit in initiating development projects in their various communities.
This will support government’s efforts at spreading socio-economic development to the grassroots across the country.
The Chief of Staff gave the advice at Wiamoase in the Sekyere South district in the Ashanti region when she joined other dignitaries to inaugurate a $500,000 project built by citizens of the town in the diaspora.
Wiamoase is one of the ancient towns in the Ashanti region famous partly due to the exploits of the legendary Okomfo Anokye.
However, with time, many of its citizens have traveled abroad in search of greener pastures.
These citizens have formed a union not only for solidarity and socialization purposes, but importantly, to pool their resources to initiate and also support socio-economic development projects at Wiamoase, their hometown.
In the past few years, the group has undertaken many different projects for the benefit of the citizens at home.
These include the provision of an Ambulance to the local Hospital, water and sanitation as well as the construction of school structures.
The construction of the two storey Learning Development Centre complex comprises a well furnished Conference Centre as well as a Community Library which has offices and stocked with relevant books.
The facility has also been provided with a standby regular water supply system.
The project cost the group about$500,000from the voluntary contributions of member citizens.
The Community now has a responsibility to develop a strategy to generate revenue from it for its maintenance.
In appreciation for the selflessness of the citizens in the diaspora over the years, a grand durbar of the Chiefs and People of Wiamoase and attended by high ranking government functionaries including the 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, MPs, top State Security officials, Academics and the Clergy was held in their honour and to inaugurate the newest of their projects, the Community Learning Development Centre.
The Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mrs. Akosua Fremah Osei Opare, who is a native of the town, commended highly the Wiamoase Citizens in the Diaspora for their sacrifices for the town and pledged to also support in whichever way she can while encouraging other Ghanaians abroad to learn from the exemplary commitment of the group.
Mrs. Osei Opare urged the youth to take advantage of the government’s YouStart programme to be funded through revenue from the E-Levy.
The Wiamoase Citizens in the Diaspora used the occasion to present plaques of citation and other Awards to selected personalities including the Chief of Staff in recognition and also appreciation for their respective contributions to the progress of the community over the years.
She assured members of the Wiamoase Concerned Youth Association of her readiness to support them to advance their personal and Community development.
The Chairman of the Wiamoase Citizens in Diaspora, Dr. Daniel Apau Ohyeaman, explained that the group will use the facility to “advance the development of particularly children with special needs who come from the town”.
The Chief of Wiamoase, Nana Boakye Yiadom, thanked the group for the numerous the numerous initiatives from their own resources toward the wellbeing of the people.
The Minister for Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, who was the Guest Speaker, advised pupils and students in the town to take advantage of the Centre to better their academics.
