The Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has urged the government to consider investing more in the agricultural and agribusiness sectors to help boost the economy.

He said the two sectors, when given the needed attention and boost, would improve lives in the country.

Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu, who is also the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, was speaking at an event to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of his enstoolment last Saturday.

Anniversary

Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu was enstooled in 1999 after the death of his uncle, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Dr Agyemang Badu earlier the same year.

Before his accession to the stool at age 33, the Omanhene, who was known in private life as Daniel Mensah, was a legal practitioner in Sunyani, the capital of the Bono Region.

Currently, the Dormaahene is a Justice of the High Court.

The 22nd anniversary brought together hundreds of people from all walks of life. Among them were traditional rulers, the clergy, civil society groups, heads of departments and politicians, including the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central.

Cultural performances, including drumming and dancing in praise of Osagyefo Agyemang Badu for his immense contribution to the development of the area, spiced up the event.

Excessive borrowing

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu expressed worry over excessive borrowing by successive governments, saying that investing heavily in agriculture and agribusiness could help reduce such unhealthy practice.

He cautioned that Ghana could lose its major economic plants, such as cocoa and cashew, if agriculture and agribusiness were not given the needed attention.

The Omanhene said although the oil and the mining sectors contributed to the development of the country, agriculture could do far better if it was given similar attention.

He said some countries, such as Singapore, were raking in billions of dollars from oil palm production, while Ghana regrettably had not taken advantage of its resources to boost national growth.

“If Singapore imported a few oil palm seedlings from Ghana and is currently making more money from it, why can’t we also make billions of cedis from such a resource?” he asked.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu said Ghana was blessed with many natural resources but was still struggling to contain poor sanitation, bad roads, the lack of proper health care, among other challenges.

Galamsey activities

On illegal mining (galamsey), he vowed to resist attempts by any company to mine gold in the area, saying he would only allow that if the government re-negotiated with companies to increase the five per cent royalties due stools to an appreciable level.

The Omanhene gave a week’s ultimatum to chiefs involved in galamsey in the area  to halt those activities.

"You know my stand on galamsey — I don't want the menace in my traditional area and I am, therefore, appealing to chiefs in the area who are into galamsey to put a stop to the practice and leave the sites," he stated.

Osagyefo Agyemang Badu vowed to destool any chief in the area who would ignore the caution.

Source: graphic.com.gh