Rain-soaked Dr. Bawumia exchanging greetings with some queen mothers at the durbar
VICE-PRESIDENT Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was on last Saturday ‘welcomed’ by rains when he attended the Ohum Festival durbar at Akwapim Mampong in the Eastern Region.
The Vice-President defied the heavy downpour and walked through to exchange pleasantries with the chiefs and people of the area who were excited to see him at the colourful durbar.
In his address, Dr. Bawumia entreated the chiefs to work together with the local administrative authorities to rekindle the spirit of communal labour to help deal with filth in the system which he said posed both health and environmental hazards.
“The Ohum Festival is a celebration worth attending notwithstanding the rains, and the display of rich Ghanaian culture and tradition is very refreshing to observe,” he said.
He commended Akwapim Mampong, which is the home of two major historic icons in this country – Tetteh Quarshie, the farmer, and Dr. Oku Ampofo, the plant medicine man – for producing great people for the country.
Dr. Bawumia noted that Tetteh Quarshie was an adventurist, and a farmer who single-handedly made Ghana famous for its golden pod that has long been the backbone of the economy.
“The renowned Dr. Oku Ampofo’s brilliance and dedication led to the establishment of the Centre for Plant Medicine Research which continues to affect the lives of many,’’ he added.
Other top personalities such as Sammi Awuku, the National Organiser of the NPP; Lawyer Philip Addison NPP’s lawyer for the 2012 Presidential Election Petition; Michael Okyere Baafi, the CEO of Ghana Free Zones Authority; Eric Kwakye Darfour, the Eastern Regional Minister, among others, graced the function.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, AkwapimMampong