Neenyi Ghartey VII, Effutu Oma Odefe on behalf of the Effutu Traditional Council and the entire citizenry of the area has thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu-Addo for the almost completed safe landing facility in Effutuman.
He stated that they were looking forward for the official inauguration to help curb the prevalence of unhygienic environment at the landed fish site over the years.
Neenyi Ghartey, who is also the President of Effutu Traditional Council, made the call in an address he delivered at a durbar on the theme: 'Your participation makes a difference for development,' as part of the 2023 Aboakyer Festival in Winneba.
At the durbar, the Oma Defe (Paramount Chief) receives the first catch of a live Deer from any of the two Asafo groups (Tuafo No.1 and Dentsefo No.2), who go hunting for a live deer as their religious and moral obligation to the Effutu Stool.
The Tuafo No 1 company, this year, brought the first catch to the durbar ground at exactly 10: 13hrs while the Dentsefo No 2, also brought their catch to the ground at 11:00 hours when the dignitaries, including Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan Central Regional Minister, Mr. Asamoah Boateng the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, delegation from the Effutu Charlottesville Sister City, representatives of the various Political parties, Municipal and District Chief Executives and others had left the ground.
Neenyi Ghartey was unhappy that a tree planting exercise at the hunting site which was part of the celebration was put on hold because cattle herdsmen had overgrazed and rendered part of the area bare and had also refused to leave and called on the Assembly to act quickly to avert any misunderstanding.
Neenyi Ghartey said climate change was real and it was the reason that their forebearers reserved some area for purposes other than human habitation.
He said the Ramsar site where they hunt for the sacrificial animal annually was one of such places not for human habitation but for religious and other sustainable environmental best practices.
'It has been a tough battle maintaining the integrity of the hunting grounds which forms part of the Ramsar site because some people think that is the best area to reside and as such, the area is subjected to intense pressure from encroachers,' he stated.
All the events done were to sustain their tradition to propitiate the deity and the souls of their ancestors for them to support their endeavours, bring all the sons and daughters of Effutuman home each year and help them to reflect on the past and plan for the future, Neenyi Ghartey said.
He also appealed to the government to construct an ultra-modern market for Effutu State adding that the present state of their market was not the best because foodstuffs were sold on the ground and on the surrounding streets which were blocked on market days.
'We hope if our plight is duly considered by the government, it will go a long way to help protect the lives of our people from diseases that spread through unhygienic environment which had been a matter of serious concern to us over the years,' he said.
Later in the afternoon, the divisional chiefs, Asafo groups and the entire people of Effutu carried Neenyi Ghartey in a palanquin amidst fromtomfron drumming, dancing, and chanting of Asafo war songs.
Source: Ghana News Agency