“Traditional authorities remain the leading institution in this country with unblemished character, and I will expect to see you play a crucial role in the body politics as the custodians of this rich country,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament, who is also the Tengmaale Naa (development chief) of the Takpo Traditional Area, said this when he addressed the annual Wilaa festival of the chiefs and people of Takpo in the Nadowli-Kaleo District in the Upper West Region last Saturday.

“People in authority don’t care about what is happening to the less privileged; and this has made most of our youth to be full of excuses in their dealings. No sincerity, no honesty, no respect for elders these days. And all these could be attributed to the decay of our culture, tradition and values,” he said.

He added that, “as a country we should be reminded that it is our culture which identifies us as a people and anchors us to develop. And, therefore, we as Ghanaians should be mindful of what we accept in our culture in the name of globalisation and human rights.”

He quoted 1 Corinthians 6:12 saying that “all things are lawful but not all are expedient.”

Development  

Touching on the theme of the festival, the Speaker indicated that it was very apt and inspiring and to him, festivals are used as effective catalysts for unity, peace and development.

 “Festivals are effective tools of sustainable development and peace building. The celebration of festivals gives meaning to life and communal living. I dare say, any community without a festival is a dead society,” Mr Bagbin said.

 

 He, therefore, used the occasion to call on all sons and daughters of the Takpo Traditional Area to get involved in issues of concern and be interested in the development of the community.

He applauded the Takpo Naa, Queen mothers, Queens, elders and Takpoolo for the establishment and continuous celebration of the Wilaa festival for more than 26 years now. Last year the chiefs, elders and the citizens of Takpo bestowed an honour on the Speaker as the Tengmaale Naa of the Takpo Traditional Area. He has, therefore, pledged to do everything possible within his means to support the development and wellbeing of the people of the area.

Takpo is richly endowed in gold, and Azumah Resources has been given the licence to exploit but not much has been done. The Speaker, therefore, called on the government through the Minerals Commission to grant them a community mining license to enable the teeming youth to engage in legal and responsible mining within the community.