‘Support Mahama to Fight Corruption’- Rawlings tells Ghanaians

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October 7, 2013

Rawlings responding to cheers at the festival ground

Former President, Jerry John Rawlings says President Mahama’s government will succeed only if members of the public help to expose the weaknesses in his government and offer concrete suggestions in fighting corruption.

Rawlings said he was aware of the fact that the government is confronted with a number of challenges including corruption and stated that the President concedes that all Ghanaians need to join hands in combating the problem.

President Rawlings who delivered the keynote address at the annual Deza Festival of the chiefs and people of Dzodze in the Volta Region on Saturday, said: “There is no point in voting for the President and government and sitting down waiting for Accra. You have an equal responsibility to help develop your country by refusing to sit on the fence doing nothing.”

Reforms in NDC

Touching on the NDC the former President, who is also the Founder of the party called for a review of the electoral college of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to make it more representative of the will of the people.

“The time has come to enlarge the electoral college of the NDC so a larger group of people which is better representative of various local communities, elect officers of the party including the flag bearer. Others may have initiated that method but we can do better and come up with a larger and more representative electoral college. We should have done that a long time ago”.

“Those of our officers and executives with integrity must support reform and should have nothing to fear. Let us not do anything to undermine the attempt to hand the party back to the people. To do so will be risking the life of the NDC.”

Mr. Rawlings, who virtually turned the durbar ground into a party rally, said “NDC’s decision should not come from only 20,000 people…give us 150,000”.

“Maintain the 20,000 and see what will happen to you in this country in 2016”, Mr Rawlings warned and said: “Your victory will come from taking back your party… an expansion of the Electoral College, the voting power!”

Teach Young People to Use Contraceptives-Minister

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Kwadwo Duodu

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October 7, 2013

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The Minister of Health, Ms. Sherry Ayittey has called for the education of the youth on family planning and the use of contraceptives.

She said the world population profile indicated that more than half of the people are under the age of 25, yet “it is a taboo in our society to hear young people talk about family planning and contraception”.

She therefore called on the Ghana Education Service to include reproductive health lessons into the curricula of schools to ensure continues education and awareness creation among young people on their reproductive health issues.

“It is important to prioritize and scale-up youth sexual reproductive health programmes; including a comprehensive sexuality education that teaches young people about their rights and options to ensure that young women to have access to a range of contraceptive methods”.

Ms. Ayittey made the call at the formal launch of this year’s National Family Planning week in Ho on Wednesday on the theme ““Your future, your choice, your contraception, Act Now!”.

The Director General of the Ghana Health service, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyirah, said the nation’s population must grow in tandem with its resources and noted that national family week celebration is meant to provide education on the need for couples to plan their family.

Dr Appiah-Denkyira called on communities to select nurses at their Community-Based Health Planning Services compounds to educate the people on “how to grow”.

He also asked traditional and religious leaders to join the fray to get the youth informed on reproductive health to enable them make the right choices.

Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, Volta Regional Minister said the Volta region in the first half of 2013, had 35 maternal mortality cases and over fifteen percent of all anti-natal attendance were teenagers. He therefore called for the usage of family planning methods to curb the situation.

Construction Industry Needs Reforms – Dogbegah

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Kwadwo Duodu

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October 4, 2013

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INSET: Mr. and Mrs. Dogbegah

The enormous challenges being faced by the construction industry cannot be wished away, but calls for a more radical and consistent transformation in order to match up to the international standards, Rockson Kwesi Dogbegah, Chairman of the Ghana Construction Association Council, has hinted.

According to him, a lot of standards had been compromised in the industry, thereby by creating a lot of inequality and obstacles that are virtually killing local firms at the expense of the foreign ones.

Mr Dogbegah made the call in Ho during a symposium to mark the 20th anniversary of Berock Ventures Limited (BVL), an indigenous Construction Firm which he founded.

He called on the local contractors to stay united and fight for their rights because the future of upcoming firms and that of the country depended on it. He urged Ghanaian contractors to be bold, take risks and make sacrifices to improve the construction industry in the country.

He added that “Ghanaian contractors must be determined because…there is nothing to lose when you keep trying…we don’t miss anything when making attempts.”

Mr Dogbegah who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Centre for Chartered Institute of Building also cautioned local contractors against undercoating their bids, since this affected the quality and lifespan of their work.

“It eventually reduces the standards in the industry which is a serious recipe for disaster as far as the industry was concerned… If we can compete with the foreign companies and eventually overtake them, we need to stick to the right bids and standards.”

He also emphasized the need for continuous capacity and knowledge acquisition to stimulate creativity and innovation in order to beat the competition from the international competitors.

Mr Dogbegah who is also the Chairman of the pioneer Construction Research Fund for the industry also called on government to take swift pragmatic steps to tackle issues facing the contractors and the industry as a whole because “Government and state institutions are part of the problem.”

The Chairman of the Volta Regional Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors of Ghana (ABCECG), Prosper Ledi, commended Berock for blazing the trail for other indigenous firms to follow and hoped that the challenges of the industry would soon be overcomed.

The Chief Executive Officer of the BVL, Courage Dogbegah commended the founder in believing in young people and allowing them to run the company he founded. He noted that the company which was registered in 1993 built a head teacher’s bungalow in Keklebesi in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region in 1994.

That contract was completed with materials and equipment on credit, a scenario synonymous with start-ups in the country. Twenty years down the lane, the company had become one of the leading building firms in the country, competing with international players.

Buildings in the firm’s credit include the Hilla Limann Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon, Schools of Engineering and Business at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST). Others are the National ICT Park for Ghana which is due for completion in November, 15-storey Ghana Shippers Authority Office Complex, the National Blood Centre for Korle-Bu, among others.

He added that Berock which hopes to be a global player had spent over $100,000 in corporate social responsibilities. The firm which is currently registered in Liberia and other countries in the sub-region hopes to open departments such as real estates and property development, facility management and road construction in the coming year.

Credit: Fred Duodu, DailyGuide, Ho

FDA destroys fake and unregistered pharmaceuticals in Ho

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 27, 2013

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the fake & unregistered products

The Volta regional office of the Food and Drugs Authority has on Thursday, set fire to dozens of over one hundred fake and unregistered pharmaceutical products kept the ware house of local pharmaceutical company, Tobinco in Ho.

According to the FDA, a post market surveillance exercises conducted revealed that Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited had imported and distributed the fake and unregistered medicines onto the Ghanaian market.

Mr. Roderick Daddey-Adjei, regional officer of FDA, said some of the fake and unregistered products had been supplied to regional medical stores, hospitals and pharmacies nationwide, which the authority have immediately recall in order to protect public health and safety.

“We want the general public to be wary of products from Tobinco, out of the over one hundred products in their warehouse, only seven are duly registered by the authority. The ware house also is not registered, as required by law, so we have closed it down” Mr. Daddey-Adjei said.

He also urged pharmacies and licensed chemical shops dealing in Tobinco products to be very cautious and contact the authority for the list of registered products.

Some of the pharmaceutical products, included Antibiotics and respiratory medicines, baering brand names like ‘cough cold’, ‘hitman condom’ etc. He said the products pose a serious threat to public health and safety since they had not been evaluated for their quality, safety and efficacy by the Authority.

He however assured the public that the FDA has withdrawn these fake and unregistered products.

Mr. Daddey-Adjei also asked persons buying Herbal medicines, to look out for the FDA registration number and ‘if you cannot see the registration number on the product, please do not buy it’.

He said the FDA will not renege on its mandate and urged those dealing in pharmaceuticals to do the right thing by registering their products with the authority.

The destruction was witnessed by the volta Regional officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, Togbui Aklaku Ahorney.

Lecturer calls for the Deferment of New Utility Tariffs to 2014

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 26, 2013

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Following the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s announcement of increases in utility tariffs, a Management Consultant and a Lecturer at the Ho Polytechnic and E.P University College in Ho, Mr. Israel Kofi Nyarko is calling on government and the PURC to defer the implementation of the new tariffs to January 2014, this he said will enable businesses and individuals to properly plan their budgets to reflect the increases.

The PURC on Wednesday announced a 52 percent increment in water and 78.9 percent increment in electricity tariffs which will take effect from October 1.The announcement comes after the service providers made a strong case for an increment.

But speaking on US FM in Ho, Mr. Nyarko described the increases as bizarre and said its implementation will negatively affect the operations of businesses and individuals since they have not budgeted for the increases.

“We are in the middle of the year and people are implementing their budgets, and we are being slapped with this kind of increment, it is going to affect the entire operational budget of every institution including every individual. Recently, government was only able to adjust the salaries of workers by 10%, just something marginal, what kind of adjustments are we going to do”? He quizzed.

Mr. Nyarko urged government and the PURC to defer the new tariffs to next 2014 to enable businesses and individuals to properly budget for the increments.

“We have barely three months to end the year; this increment should be deferred to next year. Government should help us end the year, So that institutions can factor the increments in their budgets next year”.

He also gave an alternative that the new tariffs should be splinted to allow consumers to pay a percentage for the rest of the year and the rest implemented next year.

“Since government has given us just 10%, they should split the 78% and 52%, and say that from now to December we should pay 15%, so that next year they will add the rest to it”.

Mr. Kofi Tenaso-Gbedemah, a civil society activist, who also spoke the same network, supported the lecturer’s call but also urged the utility providers to also improve on their efficiencies so as to cut down on wastage in the system.

Some residents have also expressed their displeasure about the tariff increases, saying its implementation will bring untoward hardship on them especially coming on the heels of recent fuel price hikes and subsequence increases in transport fares.

“We are dying, how much increment has been given to workers recently, where do they want us to get money to pay for these tariffs. What mature services are they giving us for us deserve this punishment?” Charles an angry resident said.

They are therefore appealing to the government to halt the implementation of the new tariffs until 2014.

NPP Group Wants Fred Oware to Replace Jake as National Chairman

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 24, 2013

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A group calling itself “Friends of Fred Oware” of the New Patriotic Party in the Volta region is calling on Mr. Fred Oware, the first national Vice Chairman of the Party to contest for the national chairmanship position.

A press release signed by Mr. Charles Searyoh leader of the group and issued to the media in Ho stated that, the group after the Supreme Court ruling went into retreat to seek the face of God concerning the future of the party and it was revealed to them that the first vice national chairman, Fred Oware is the man under whose chairmanship the NPP will win power in 2016..

“After the supreme court ruling, we went into retreat to seek the face of God concerning the future of the party and God revealed to us that as part of the repackaging and rebranding of the party for the 2016 elections, Fred Oware shall be chosen as the national chairman under whose chairmanship the party will win power”.

The group described Mr. Oware as ‘tried and tested, affable, hardworking and transparent’ gentleman who grants a listening ear to grass root members of the party from all parts of the country.

The group which consist of some party executives from the region believe that the current national chairman of the party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has done his best for the NPP and said “for 2016, let us give the job to the chosen one, Fred Oware” .

2013 Asogli Yam Festival climaxed with a Grand Durbar

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 22, 2013

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Togbe Afede XVI Speaking at the Durbar

It was virtually a clash of products and service banners in Ho on Saturday, as chiefs and people of Asogli, countless other chiefs and revelers gathered to crown their 2013 Yam Festival, with a mammoth durbar.

The celebration also marked the 10th Anniversary of the installation of Togbe Afede XIV as the Agbogbome Fia of the Asogli State, comprising four traditional setups, Akoefe, Ho, Kpenoe and Takla.

The event under the theme: “Traditional Leadership and Development Redefined” also attracted patrons from the Republics of Togo and Benin.

President John Dramani Mahama, who was Guest of Honour, said chieftaincy was no longer pomp, pageantry and opulence but intrinsically linked with development.

“You are a symbol of that development,” he stated, referring to Togbe Afede.

President Mahama said much as government had the responsibility to transform the lives and dignity of the people, the citizenry also had the responsibility to support government to achieve the development targets.

He said under a Chinese Development Bank loan, government would construct two landing sites in the Volta Region and complete the eastern corridor road.

President Mahama

The President said government in collaboration with the Japanese government would under the Yen loan Portfolio also construct a new bridge on the Lower Volta River.

He said government would also build a new interchange at the Tema roundabout to ease congestion in the area.

President Mahama said government would construct the Sogakope Water Project to supply potable water to the Volta Region and to parts of southern Togo.

He said government would also upgrade the Ho Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital that would serve as a training and research centre.

He also directed the Ministry of Finance to pay the counterpart funding for all Self Help Electricity Projects throughout the country in order to ensure that 80 percent of Ghanaians enjoy electricity by 2016.

President Mahama condemned land and chieftaincy disputes that had bedeviled the country over the years and appealed to the people to unite for rapid socio-economic development.

Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbomofia of the Asogli State, said development was a shared responsibility and appealed to government to bring together all the stakeholders of development to brainstorm on the way forward.

He commended President Mahama for inviting the political leadership of Togo to the programme.

The Agbomofia appealed to chiefs of the region to educate the people and help eliminate negative traditions that inhibit development and promote the positive ones.

“Some reform will be necessary if the institution of chieftaincy is to facilitate development and I want to ask that we uphold and respect traditional practices and customs that inspire us” He said.

Togbe Afede paid homage to those, both alive and dead, who took the decision to make him king, pledging never to relent on the path of progress he had been treading.

“I knew that many people desired to be selected by the kingmakers, and were saddened the mantle fell on the unwilling James Akpo (currently Togbe Afede).

“I acknowledge them and thank them because their interest underscored the importance of the great Asogli Paramount Stool. “I invite them to come along so we can make the Stool even greater.

“All citizens have a role to play in the unfolding history of Ho Asogli,” the venerated chief stated.

Some chiefs from Togo

There were fraternal greetings from President Faure Gnassingbe, President of Togo, Togbe Agorkorli IV, chief of the Ewes in Togo, who led a 100-member delegation from that country and a representative of the Asantehene.

There was noticeable presence of Chinese at the grounds, reflecting the developing business ties between Togbe Afede, as a Business Executive and China.

The Volta Region also has a development pact with China’s Ningxia Autonomous Province.

As the durbar ended, the skies darkened and rain poured down for about 45 minutes pushing the celebration, with loud music and choked drinking bars deeper into the night.

Culled from GNA

Traditional Institutions Still Relevant In National Development-Tobgi Kporku

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 20, 2013

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Togbi Kporku

Togbi Kporku III, Dufia of Alakple has noted that in spite of the erosion of the authorities of traditional institutions as a result of socio-political changes over the years, traditional institutions still remain relevant for accelerated development of the country.

“Traditional institutions still retain very important duties as social leaders of the various political communities for the mobilization of resources and people for development’’.

According to Togbi Kporku, traditional institutions provide the first point of contact between the people and their government, hence the need for political institutions to complement rather than to compete with traditional institution in moving the country forward.

He said “As traditional rulers we do not have any panacea or quick-fix solutions to the great dilemma that faces our nation… But collectively we can all find answers to our problems” and called for respect for traditional authority and cultural values to give these values a strong leverage above foreign ones.

Togbi Kporku was speaking at a lecture to mark the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Torgbe Afede XIV, agbogbomefia of Asogli state which also coincides with this year’s Asogli Yam Festival celebrations.

Redefinition of Traditional Leadership

Speaking on the theme: “Agbogbomefia and the redefinition of traditional leadership”, Togbi Kporku described Togbe Afede as the “shooting star” of the Volta Region, who have brought “new life, new vigour and new vision” into the traditional leadership of the region and Ghana as a whole.

Togbe Afede

He noted that during the 10 years of Togbe Afede’s enthronement, he has, championed people-centred development in “opening new vistas in commerce, business and industry”.

Recounting Togbe Afede’s contributions to national development within the 10 years of his installation Togbi Kporku stated that “In the last 10 years, Togbe Afede has demonstrated that chieftaincy is not a romantic outpouring of wealth and status and that leadership is substance, not ornaments”.

He also described Togbe Afede as a person who epitomises positive virtues of voluntarism, honesty, humility, industry, hard work, integrity and accountability, which are the “the hallmarks of the voltarian”.

Togbe Kporku recalled the first ever Volta Congress organized by Togbe Afede, a year after his installation and collated development plans of the region into a single document and led some chiefs and businesspersons to the People’s Republic of China to explore opportunities.

He commended Togbe Afede for his effort in the establishment of the Sunon-Asogli Power Plant which is one of the outcomes of the China trip.

Togbe Kporku said the achievements of Togbe Afede indicated that with collaboration, chiefs could find answers to problems facing the region and Ghana.

“There has never been shortage of good intentions and plans when we talk of the development of our dear region. What we lack is …tenacity and singleness of purpose… We fail to walk the talk. To forge ahead as a people, we must convert our strengths in diversity into unifying forces with the same aspirations, a common and purposeful voice and singleness of purpose.” He said.

Togbe Afede XIV called for attitudinal change, unity and purposefulness among Voltarians and urged chiefs to do more to bring good health, quality education and prosperity to the people. He called.

Togbe Afede also commended the indigenes for their support in the past 10 years and pledged to continue to work for the accelerated development of Asogli State, the region and Ghana and called for support.

Born as James Akpo, on 23rd April 1957 in Ho, he was installed Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli in 2003 and he is currently the President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs.

He was a co-founder of Databank Financial services before founding Strategic African Security (SAS) Finance Group in 1994. Togbe Afede also co-founded Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd and He now chairs the board of Ghana’s oldest Sporting Club, Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club Ltd, which he is the highest share holder.

‘Citizen Vigilante’ Martin Amidu and Three Others Honoured

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 19, 2013

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(L-R) Sam Okudzeto, Adjei Ampofo & Ahumah Ocansey

Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Martin Alamisi Amidu have been honoured with three other lawyers by the Ghana Bar Association for their meritorious contributions towards the development of Ghana and bringing excellence in the legal profession.

Mr. Amidu, whose name was mentioned alongside Sam Okudzeto, Ahumah Ocansey, and Nana Adjei Ampofo, received a standing ovation amidst cheers and applause although he was absent at the time.

The honour was than at the ongoing conference of the GBA in Ho by the President of the Association, Nene Amegatcher who emphasized that the four were being acknowledged for their ‘selfless devotion to the development of human and public interest test case litigation in the country”.

A citation in honour of Mr. Amidu whose actions earned him the name citizen vigilante, read; “a former Attorney General of Ghana defied the perception that the Attorney General, once appointed always do the bidding of government of the day. In putting mother Ghana first, he fought against certain corrupt practices going on in the country and in the process lost his job. He did not end it there, but constitution himself into a citizen vigilante and single handedly file two suits in the Supreme Court to recover monies illegally taken from the republic.”

Additionally, “Date-Bah JSC presiding over the Waterville case opined that the plaintiff is to be commended for his public spiritedness which has fueled his meticulous and industrious presentation of this case.”
Mr. Sam Okudzeto in April 2009 also sued government for wrongful dissolution of the Board of the Bank of Ghana. Late President Mills in 2009 dissolved the boards of all state Institutions, agencies and other Parastatals. Mr. Okudzeto Who was then a board member filed the writ at the Fast Track, seeking a declaration by the court that the action of the President was illegal, null and void. The court in January 2013 upheld his claims and described unlawful the dissolution of the Board of the Bank of Ghana, since the bank is independent from the President and the Ministry of Finance.

In the case of Ahumah Ocansey, he filed suit in 2009, praying the Supreme Court to declare as null and void sections of PNDC Law 284 which barred remand and convicted prisoners from voting. The Court, presided over by the Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, in a unanimous decision on March 23, 2010 upheld the applications and directed the Electoral Commission to come out with a framework to facilitate the inclusion of prisoners in the voters register. This led to the first time registration of prisoners and their subsequent voting in the 2012 election.

Nana Adjei Ampofo, who is now the Board Chairman of the Lands Commission instituted two actions in court, first for a declaration that the continuous use and employing of Ghanaians to carry human excreta in pans on their heads is an affront to the dignity of such persons and should be abolished. In his second action, he asked the court to declare as unconstitutional, the criminal sanctions prescribed for refusal to heed to the call of a Chief.

The Supreme Court in both cases upheld his submissions and gave an ultimatum to Metropolitan authorities to replace such pan latrines and abolish the use in all homes and further struck down the legislation in the Chieftaincy Act as unconstitutional.

Nene Amegatcher described their actions as worthy of emulation by the all, especially the younger generation in ensuring that Ghana moves forward in the right direction. Colleagues also eulogized the four in separate interviews.

MTN Supports Asogli Yam Festival

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Kwadwo Duodu

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September 19, 2013

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Ghana’s leading telecommunication network, MTN Ghana has commended the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV for showing sterling leadership in bringing development to his people and the nation as a whole.

A Manager in charge of Mobile Money Implementation at MTN, Peter Kofi Bimpeh who described Togbe’s efforts as exemplary, stressed that “MTN salutes Togbe for the many achievements in promoting development, creating opportunities for the youth and for creating a positive image of the chieftaincy institution in Ghana.”

Mr. Bimpeh was speaking at brief ceremony in Ho to present items and money in support to this year’s Asogli Yam Festival. MTN presented Asogli Festival Committee with GH¢5,000, a hamper of assorted drinks, GH¢1,000 worth of airtime and assorted MTN souvenirs to support the festival celebrations.

This year’s celebration marks the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli State. Presenting the items, he congratulated the Agbogbomefia on his 10th anniversary and added that “We are here to affirm our relationship with the chiefs and people of Asogli as we have done in the last six years.”

He said the presentation is a demonstration of MTN commitment to the promotion of the rich Ghanaian culture. MTN as part of its support towards the festival will also provide sponsorships for major activities, such as the grand durbar, health walk and screening exercise, a football gala and an entertainment show dubbed ‘MTN chill Zone’.

Mr. Bimpeh also announced that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, the MTN foundation is scouting for persons whose services have impacted their communities to be honoured as ‘MTN Heroes of Change’.

Togbe Kotoku XI, paramount chief of Kpenoe and chairman of the festival planning committee, receiving the items thanked MTN for their continuous support to the Asogli state over years and expressed the hope that their relationship will continue.

The month long celebration will be climaxed on Saturday September 21 with a grand durbar of chiefs and people of the Asogli followed by a state dinner. This year’s festival is under the theme; “Traditional Leadership and Development Re-defined.”