The Chiefs and the people of Gomoa Ekwamkrom in the Gomoa Central District of the Central region have launched the 2024 Annual Akwambo festival, envisaging short and long term development projects. They include the construction of market with modern lorry park, Ultra-Modern community Center and a newly designed Chief's palace, all to be executed in 2024 and beyond. The week-long festival is scheduled to come off on August 11 to 18, 2024 with activities of programme which include float, clean-up exercise, purification rites and a durbar. Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister who officially launched the festival, said the Central Regional Coordinating Council would support the projects financially and materially to its completion. She said the Council had collaborated with the MP for Gomoa Central, Mrs Naana Eyiah Quansah to build an Astroturf at Ekwamkrom. The Regional Minister hinted that the government had prioritised the development of sports for the youth, hence the construction of As troturfs in all the 16 regions of the country. Mrs Assan assured the chiefs and people of Ekwamkrom that government would continue to offer infrastructural development in the areas of education, health, agriculture, and road networks to promote wellbeing of the people. Mr Benjamin Kojo Otoo, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gomoa Central expressed profound gratitude to the chiefs and people of the town for the installation of new Odikro in a peaceful manner. He said peace was the most effective tool for development and urged the chiefs and people to continue to maintain it to ensure socio-economic advancement. The DCE said the Assembly would facilitate the upgrading of the Community based Health Planning and Services Compound to Clinic status to ensure quality health care delivery in Ekwamkrom and surrounding towns. The Assembly would further collaborate with Mrs Quansah to construct a new market and lorry park to help in the economic transformation of the people. The DCE on behalf of MP presented GHC 6,000.00 cash and pledged 50 bags of cement in support of the projects and promised the MP's readiness to finance the rest of the projects from her own resources. Nana Dr Okogyedom Ewuahaa II, Odikro of Ekwamkrom said the chiefs in collaboration with Akwambo Planning Committee had instituted festival levy of GHS20 per female and GHS30 per male to raise enough funds to execute the proposed projects. He called on the people to eschew negative tendencies that may affect the progress of the town, adding that without unity, the expected developmental projects would not be achieved. Source: Ghana News Agency