Justice Patrick Barye administering the oath of office to Odanfuor Kwasi Apratu III
A NEW Paramount chief for the people of Odomase No. 1 Traditional area, Odanfuor Kwasi Apratu III in the Sunyani West District has called on members of traditional councils to run the councils like business entities to raise funds for development and benefit their people.
Odanfuor Apratu made the call after he was sworn in as the substantive chief and president of Odomase No. 1 traditional council in the Sunyani West District of Bono Region.
A supervising high Court judge, His Lordship Justice Patrick Barye, administered the oaths of office and secrecy.
Justice Barye, after the swearing in, congratulated the chief for the position and advised him to be aware of the implications and consequences of the oaths he took and abide by the tenets.
In his acceptance speech, Nana Apratu III made a passionate appeal to his people to help him steer the affairs of the traditional area through consensus building without the usual acrimony and divisionist tactics that only disturb the area’s development.
‘We are going to work within committees such as land and financial committees where proceeds from sales of land and other properties shall be channeled to prosecute various projects needed for the traditional area. It must not and is not going to be one man show as usual.
The swearing in office was was participated and witnessed by key members of the council including the kontrihene and Gyasehene among others.
He bemoaned due to litigations and lack of understanding among former members most projects including government sponsored ones have stalled to the detriment of the people.
“’We need to bring our heads together to help our people. It must not be business as usual. All traditional areas that were our peers have leapfrog in terms of development and we need to catch up. We must be united and eschew divisive tendencies that help no one but retrogress our people.
“We need more schools to produce medical doctors, engineers, lawyers and other critical specialists among our people to help develop the traditional area. No child must be left behind because of poverty so let’s all work hard as a team and help brilliant but needy students,” he said.
The swearing in ceremony was witnessed by the registrar of the National House of Chiefs, Anthony Yeboah Tabiri.
Odanfour Kwasi Apratu III succeeded the late queen mother of the area, Nana Abena Boatemaa, who was laid to rest recently.
FROM Daniel Dayee, Odomase