Barimah Oppong Kyeremeh Sikafo, the Chief of Dormaa-Akwamu in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region, has appealed for a cashew processing plant, under the government’s flagship One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative.
He said the area needed the plant to process raw cashews as farmers expand has increased cashew production to enhance economic activities rro create more jobs for the youth.
Barimah Sikafo made the appeal when Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister called on him, as part of a day’s working visit to the district.
The Regional Minister was in the area to familiarise, and interact with, the people and identify the developmental needs of the communities and inspected some on-going development projects in the district.
Barimah Sikafo explained the cashew sector was thriving with many of the unemployed youth engaged in its commercial production, saying a processing plant would not only help to add value to raw cashew, but motivate many of the youth to engage in commercial plantation too.
He commended the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in curbing illegal mining activities in the area and appealed for sustainable income-earning ventures for the teeming unemployed youth to alleviate their plight.
Barimah Sikafo said the area needed a Senior High School to feed the Dormaa-Akwamu St. Ambrose College of Education, saying the presence of the College was an opportunity for many interested local young boys and girls to have access to tertiary education, particularly teaching.
He also appealed for the completion of the Dormaa-Akwamu town roads, stating that the contractor working on the project had abandoned the work for some time now.
On her part, Mad. Owusu-Banahene assured the chiefs she would follow up with all the concerns raised for the town to get its fair share of the national cake.
She advised the chiefs and people of the area to also seek support from the Dormaa-Akwamu citizens’ resident at home and abroad to support the development of the area, as the District Assembly worked to address some of their immediate developmental needs.
The Regional Minister later inspected progress of work on the local Police Station project which was about 75 per cent complete as well as the rehabilitation irrigation facility at Nsesreso.
Mad. Owusu-Banahene also interacted with the staff of the District Assembly and advised them to work hard for improved productivity and later inaugurated the newly constructed Wamanafo lorry station.
