Stories from Isaac Akwetey-Okunor
The Odikro of Pimpimso, a farming community in Begoro, capital of the Fanteakwa District, Nene Baffour Teye Pinoko I, has charged the various sub-chiefs and residents in Begoro to make the education of their children a priority.
According to the Odikro, also a strong traditionalist, the issue of education has become a nightmare for the Krobos, because many of them did not understand the need for sending their wards to school.
The Odikro, who is also the chairman of all sub-chiefs in Begoro, intimated that the advantages derived from education were immeasurable, and, therefore, charged all the sub-chiefs and residents of the respective communities to make it a duty to send every child of school-going age to school.
Nene Baffour Pinoko I contended that this advice, if adhered to, would help reduce the huge numbers of Krobos who have not gone to school in the near future, leading to accelerated socio-economic development.
He made the call during an out-dooring and presentation of certificates and identification cards to 30 recognised sub-chiefs within and around Ahomahomaso, a farming community in the district, as well as usher them (sub-chiefs) into the Begoro Sub-Chiefs Association.
The programme was heavily attended by residents and natives of the various communities to support their sub-chiefs.
The concept was conceived following the hue and cry that had characterised the various communities over who becomes a Dadedmantse and Dademanye in recent times, hence the Association was to bring that situation to an end.
Chief among the objectives of the programme was for easy identification of sub-chiefs, which would bring sanity into the chieftaincy institution, a situation, he claimed, would help to weed out self-styled chiefs.
Nene Baffour Pinoko I said this would also help to sanitise the traditional systems of the various communities, leading to unity and peace, with its corresponding organising of community labour towards development.
The 30 sub-chiefs make up the Ahomahomaso zone with the Dademantse of Ahomahomaso.
Certificates and Identification cards were given to the recognised Dademantse within their areas of operation, as this would help to prevent the temptation of people challenging the legitimacy of their leadership.
The Presiding Member (PM) of the Fanteakwa District Assembly, who is also a Krobo, David Odjidja, lauded the effort of Nene Baffour Pinoko I because of the enormous positive contributions it would bring to the development of the various communities.
Briefing the media on the concept, the PM said in Kroboland there were people called Dademantsemei (sub-chiefs) and Dademanyemei (queenmothers), and upon his (Pinoko’s) installation as the Odikro of Begoro was charged to bring all the Dademantsemei and Dademanyemei under a single umbrella.
The concept, he averred, would go a long way to mange and sanitise the traditional system within the various communities of Begoro, and overcoming the “enemy” of chieftaincy disputes that has greeted many communities.
The PM further advised the chiefs to be mindful about the people around them, because the very people who would hail you, would be the same to nail you when things are not going well with them.
Djidja also charged the chiefs to discharge their duties with honesty and a sense of humility, because they were enstooled to serve the people and not to lord over them, and also called on the subordinates to give the chiefs the needed support for development.