By Charles Tawiah
Toase (Ash), March 27, GNA – The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged chiefs and other traditional leaders to be development oriented, emphasizing that fostering community progress is the best legacy they can leave in the modern era.
He noted that the era when chiefs led their people to wars and battles has passed. Today, their focus should be on improving the living conditions of their people, which he described as the existing “battle” to be won in communities.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s statement delivered by Nana Adusei Atwenewaa Ampem, Omanhene of the Tepa Traditional Area, who represented him at the inauguration of ‘Yim Awere Dwaberem,’ an ultramodern community center in Toase, Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
He stressed that the modern world is highly competitive, and citizens need visionary, development-oriented leaders to guide initiatives that transform lives and living conditions. He highlighted that people, particularly the youth, require adequate social amenities to succeed and thrive in a globally diverse environment.
The Asantehene therefore urged traditional rulers to lead developmental visions and actions that empower their communities economically and called on citizens to support and cooperate with leaders in these efforts.
The 1,000-capacity center, constructed by Nana Yim Awere Ababio, Toasehene, at a cost of GHS 7 million, serves cultural, social, and political gatherings. It features two large conference halls, a spacious open area, 12 shops, a one-room self-contained accommodation unit, 1,500 chairs, 50 tables, and other facilities.
Nana Yim Awere Ababio expressed concern about sanitation, attributing poor hygiene to human behavior. He noted that littering, bushy compounds, dumping refuse into gutters, and stagnant water causing cholera and other filth-related diseases are preventable through individual responsibility. He urged citizens to adopt sanitation as a lifestyle, duty, and habit, emphasizing that every individual, institution, group, or community is a stakeholder in sanitation matters due to its societal impact.
Mr. Wisdom Osei Boamah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), commended the chief for his foresight and dedication, which reflects the dignity of heritage and commitment of traditional authorities to the welfare of the people. He reaffirmed his continuous collaboration with traditional leaders to advance community growth, development, and prosperity.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Audrey Dekalu