Commercial activities in Ahafo have been banned by the Ahafo Council of Chiefs and Ahafo Development Committee on the day of the referendum.
This move will allow prospective voters the opportunity to fully participate and vote YES to ensure the creation of the Ahafo Region.
The Council have also appealed to churches and religious organizations to hold off on all their intended conventions and religious programmes until after the referendum.
The decision of the council was revealed by the Omanhene of Ntotroso Traditional Area in the Asutifi North District of the Brong Ahafo Region, Barima Twereku Ampem III at a durbar in Ntotroso as part of activities initiated by him to create awareness and encourage community members to turn out in their numbers to vote.
The chiefs led community members on the streets of Ntotroso and Gyedu before they converged at the durbar grounds wearing branded T-Shirts with the inscription “Ahafo Region-Vote YES on 27th December 2018.â€
He explained that Ahafo was endowed with a large number of mineral resources and other potentials that can propel the area’s development and therefore appealed to residents not to disappoint the future generation in this opportunity for development.
Barima Ampem III also warned that the council was not going to tolerate any misbehaviour at the polling station before, during and after the referendum and therefore cautioned the youth excessive alcohol intake.
“Let me serve this warning to you all especially the youth, Nananom will deal ruthlessly with anyone who disrupts the process under the influence of alcohol or as a macho manâ€, he warned.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Anthony Mensah appealed to the people to turn out in their numbers and vote in favour of the creation of the region describing it as a golden opportunity.
“This is a golden opportunity for Ahafo and this our generation should not be the ones to destroy what our great grandfathers and opinion leaders fought for over decades. I liken this to a football match and after 90 minutes, the referee awards us a penalty and the goalkeeper is shown a red card, and what is left is to push the ball into the netâ€, he observed.
He explained the constitution requires that 50% of all eligible voters turn out to vote on the day with YES votes constituting 80% of votes cast and therefore appealed to residents to ensure relations who have travelled are encouraged to return for the historic vote.
Nananom in Ahafo have resolved to organize more of such durbars to engage their people for positive development.
Credit: primenewsghana/citinews
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