The Chiefs and elders of Panpanso, a farming community near Nsawam in the Eastern Region have celebrated this year’s Homowo in a grand style with a call on government and other investors to consider the community as a viable area for investment opportunities.
The two-day celebration saw prominent chiefs, queen mothers and elders from adjourning communities, all expressing great satisfaction at the progress of development in the Panpanso community.
In his message to his people, especially the youth, the Chief of Panpanso, Barima Ansah Mankata V charged the youth to stay away from substance abuse and indicated that substances such as tramadol and marijuana are injurious to their health and have the tendency to make them into threats to the society.
He said Panpanso is a farming community and that the youth must take advantage of the fertile lands available and cultivate them to their benefit so as to improve their livelihoods.
In an interview with Panpanso Dzasetse, Nana Obourkon Adjei II, he called for government assistance in the provision of social amenities that will propel development in the area.
According to him, the community needs modern school and health facilities stressing that lack of development projects in their community could force the youth to engage in certain social vices that will at the end destroy them and the community as a whole.
He said the people are living under deplorable conditions, and government needs to intervene since they also deserved to enjoy modern social amenities such as electricity, good roads, schools, library and ICT facilities, public toilet, modern market and potable water.
Nana Obourkon Adjei II also called on private investors, both local and international, to visit the area and take advantage of the opportunities that are available.
He explained that Panpanso is blessed with 27,168 acres of fertile land that is used for the cultivation of food crops as well as pawpaw.
“Our major occupation here is the planting of pawpaw. As you can see when you were entering the village, there are vast acres of pawpaw farms. Most of our youth are into that whilst others work on their farms cultivating food crops such as cassava. Our doors are opened for investors,” he said.
He also enumerated that government can also consider the area for its planting for food and job initiatives and factor Panpanso under its agriculture programmes and in so doing, government will be creating jobs for their youth.
Nana Adjei II called on government to channel its 1D1F initiative to the people of Pampamso and that the chiefs and elders are ready to release vast land for the project.
He thanked the Chief of Odumase, Nii Aquaye II for his good leadership style and support to the Panpanso community.
He expressed satisfaction that JICA is coming in to build a befitted Library for the community.
He also lamented the increasing spate of teenage pregnancy in the area which he attributed to poor parental controls and unemployment.
Telling a brief history of the community, Nana Obourkon Adjei II said in 1986 the name of the town which was then call Nii Mankata town was changed to Pampamso by the five chiefs who succeeded his predecessors who were controlling both Odumase and Mankata town.
However, it became necessary for the two communities, Mankata town and Odumase to be separated due to the sale of the river by the Akuamus.
He said in previous times, the people of Pampamso do not celebrate Homowo but since 1990 when the separation came, there arose the need for it hence the community always celebrate their Homowo two weeks after the people of Odumase celebrate theirs.
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA