The Paramount Chief of the Efutu Traditional Area, Nenyi Ghartey VII, has appealed to government to revamp the defunct Pomadze Poultry Farm to provide jobs for the youth in the area.
He said the structures of the factory are going waste, and called for it to “be rehabilitated in phases”.
He added the area could be “used to establish a Micro Livestock Project and a Residential Youth in Agriculture Entrepreneurship Programme to train the youths in the production of small ruminants, mushroom and others”.
The Omanhene made the proposal at a durbar in Winneba to mark the 2017 celebration of the annual Aboakyer Festival by the people of Winneba.
The festival was generally peaceful this year as the Winneba town was under heavy security presence from both the police and the military.
Despite its peaceful celebration, the 2017 Aboakyer Festival lost a part of its shine as the Dentsirfo Asafo Company boycotted the event.
The hunt for a deer, the climax of the festival, was thus done by only the Twafo Asafo Company.
The animal was presented to Omanhene Nenyi Ghartey, and later to the Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan and the Chieftaincy, Religion and Culture Minister, Kofi Dzamesi who were present at the durbar.
Nenyi Ghartey VII also hinted on the threat posed to the hunting ground for the sacred deers. He solicited support from the President for the place to be preserved and properly managed for tourist purposes.
“We have petitioned the management of the Ghana Tourism Authority to initiate action on this request. If properly managed, we are only optimistic that this festival will become a major income earning cultural event for our people and beyond”, Nenyi Ghartey VII stated.
On the perennial controversies that surround the festival, the Omanhene advised politicians “to allow for its observation without interference to preserve it for its economic benefits to the Efutu community and those around us”.
On his part, Hon Kofi Dzamesi promised the people of Efutu who are mostly employed in the fishing industry: “very soon, the Ministry of Fisheries will be coming to visit your community to address all the problems associated with fishing, especially having to do with premix fuel distribution in this area”.
The Aboakyer Festival is celebrated yearly on the first Saturday in May. It attracts diverse tourists from the world over.
