On Saturday, March 16, 2024, the people of Akyem Akokoaso in the Akyemansa District of the Eastern Region flocked to the main streets to celebrate Mr. Kwame Prah’s coronation as the community’s new chief.
He takes the stool name of Nana Asare Bediako III, succeeding Nana Asare Bediako II, who passed away approximately 32 years ago.
Orientation
At the coronation, which took place at the Akokoaso Presby school park on Saturday, March 16, 2024, the Chief of Abirem and the Akyem Kotoku Gyaasehene, Obrempong Kwesi Amoh Kyeretwie I, advised the new chief to be diligent in serving the people in his community.
He asked the chief not to lord it over the people and appealed to the elders and the people of the area to support the new chief in succeeding.
Obrempong Kwesi Amoh Kyeretwie I urged the chief to unite all the people of Akokoaso, as well as the aggrieved ones, to enable him to pursue his vision, especially in the area of development and job creation.
Grasp
Nana Asare Bediako III, newly installed chief, expressed gratitude to the entire Akyem Akokoaso community and the King Makers of the Ekona Royal family for their confidence and support in his nomination and installation as their chief.
Thus, he appealed to the people and elders of the Akyem Akokoaso to provide him with their counsel so that he may carry out his customary responsibilities as required.
He stated that his ultimate goal was to bring complete development to the area by restoring full peace to Akokoaso.
He says he will serve the people of Akokoaso with accountability and humility. Therefore, he will need everyone’s help in order to gain an edge over the surrounding area and turn it into a hub for development.
Barriers to Addressing
Nana Asare Bediako III pledged to address the issues of drug misuse and adolescent pregnancy among children in the area seriously, providing employment opportunities to keep the youth occupied and help them improve their lives and brighten the future.
One of Nana Asare’s top priorities for the area, he said, would be education. He would work closely with the community to make sure that every child in Akokoaso had a high-quality education, from the basic level to whatever higher education they desired.
He also promised to start a scholarship system for the community’s brightest students.
Communal Labour
Nana Asare Bediako III warned that a heavy fine would be imposed on citizens who refused to participate in communal labour. He expressed concern about the apathy towards communal labour in the area and stressed that everything would be done to revive the communal spirit among the people.
Social Amenities
The new chief also laments the unavailability of water and toilet facilities in the Akokoaso community. According to him, the absence of water and toilet facilities has been a major threat to his people’s health.
He stated that the people of Akokoaso are currently in competition with their livestock for the meagre water supply due to the community’s serious water difficulties.
So he gives the community his word that his outfit will do everything within its power to help them get out of the water and toilet difficulties.
Investors
Nana Asare Bediako III assured the chiefs and people of Akokoaso that his outfit would bring investors to the area to support the development agenda of Akokoaso, seeing that there were vast lands in the area.
Natives of Akokoaso celebrate
Additionally, some inhabitants of Akokoaso expressed to Daily Searchlight their delight at Nana Asare Bediako III’s installation as their new chief.
The fact that the Akyem Akokoaso Traditional Area has been carrying out traditional and cultural activities since 1992 without a substantive chief made the locals delighted.
They bemoaned the absence of transportable water in their locality and implored the recently installed chief to make every effort to secure safe drinking water and toilet facilities for them.
Guests
Present at the ceremony were the various sub-chiefs and queenmothers of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council, other chiefs from all walks of life, religious bodies, family and friends, security services, and people of the Akokoaso community.
