President J.A. Kufuor has said that Ghana is endowed with rich natural resources and urged Ghanaians to help sustain the relative peace in the country to enable them exploit the resources for accelerated development.
"God has blessed Ghana during my tenure in office", he said and stated that the recent discovery of oil, more gold deposits in other parts of the country and the commencement of the construction of the Bui Dam in Brong Ahafo indicated that the country was on course for prosperity.
President Kufuor was addressing a mammoth durbar of chiefs and people in Techiman to commemorate the 60th anniversary celebration of the ascension of Nana Afia Abrafi II as Queen mother of Techiman Traditional Area.
The Queen mother was enstooled in 1946 at the age of 19.
The celebration was on the theme: "Moral, Cultural and Academic Excellence in Women, the key to the development of our society".
President Kufuor said cocoa production would hit 700,000 tones this year and expressed appreciation for the strenuous efforts of the country's farmers. He however, noted with regret the upsurge of various crimes in the country, which he said could disrupt the progress being made and urged all Ghanaians to remember that God had blessed the country to prosper.
"Let us all be aware that God has blessed us and let us love each other and fight for Ghana's rapid transformation", President Kufuor added.
He commended the Queen mother for her exemplary and long reign and urged the chiefs and people of the Techiman area to continue to accord her their support and co-operation.
Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, reiterated the Queen mother's constant advice to the youth to take advantage of the government's interventions to attain higher education.
He mentioned the Capitation Grant, the Schools Feeding Programme, supply of free books and the provision of ICT facilities, among others, adding, "the springing up of private universities had come about as a result of the enabling environment that the government had created in the education sector".
The Omanhene appealed to the government to assist in the construction of a proposed girls' school to be named after the Queen mother in Techiman.
Nana Abrafi has already acquired 50 acres of land, which has been prepared, for construction work on the school project to begin. She thanked the chiefs and people in the area for their continued support and co-operation to enable her to realize her dream of ensuring that more girls in the area attained good levels of education.
President Kufuor donated GH¢2,000 (¢20 million) towards the school project as well as assorted drinks for the Queen mother's anniversary celebration.
Techiman Traditional Council also donated GH¢2,000 (¢20 million) and 20 trips of sand for the school project. Other donors to the project included Mr J.A. Adom, a prominent contractor and a citizen of the area who donated GH¢5,000 (¢50 million) and Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu, Omanhene of Dormaa Traditional Council who gave GH¢10,000 (¢100 million) for the school project and GH¢1000 (¢10 million) towards the anniversary.
Chiefs from other traditional areas in Brong Ahafo, Central and Greater Accra regions who also attended the ceremony donated various sums of money and other items towards the project.
Source: GNA
