Stop using foreign drinks to perform customary obligations – Nene Sakite II
Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo, has expressed worry about how Ghanaians have relegated local foods and drinks to the background and rather developed a penchant for foreign ones.
He said Ghanaians had developed a taste to foreign foods and drinks to the extent that the country spent millions of hard earned cedis to import schnapps, whisky, vodka and Champagne when in fact, “the local palm wine and “Akpeteshie” (local gin) have waited too long for industrial processing, home consumption and export.”
Nene Sakite II said this when he opened the celebration of this year’s Ngmayem Festival at Manya Krobo at the week-end.
“Our lack of imagination and creativity is drawing back our dear country and so we must stop using foreign drinks to perform our customary obligations. We can process our own ‘made in Ghana’ products to perform those pertinent functions.”
Nene Sakite II indicated that such a venture would by far generate more job opportunities for the people and also place value on the locally produced drinks and on the country’s diverse rich culture.
The paramount chief also expressed worry on how the country’s wild life reserves were being destroyed at a time when other countries were placing much value on wild life reserves.
“A large percentage of our privileged class, who have travelled to Europe and America, have seen the value of wild life reserves while back home we are plagued by annual bush fires, which are destroying even the last lizard in our forests,” he remarked.
Nene Sakite II said it was about time Ghanaians realized the importance of preserving and protecting their wild life to enrich the country’s tourism base and attract more tourists for accelerated development.
Madam Samia Yabba Nkrumah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro and Chairperson for the Convention People’s Party (CPP), who launched an Educational Fund, set up by Nene Sakite II, called on all to help the chief to grow the fund since it would help “grow great minds” for Ghana.
She said, “The most important human resource we have is our people and no amount of oil or minerals can benefit us if we do not have great minds to handle our resources.”
Madam Nkrumah donated GH¢1,000.00 on behalf of the CPP to support the fund.
Source: GNA