The India High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Mr Sugandh Rajaram has made a great history as the first High Commissioner to Ghana to make an official visit to the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council in the western north region.
At a well-attended colourful ceremony which brought together all divisional chiefs and queen mothers together with government officials from the western north regional coordinating council led by the regional minister Hon Richard Obeng were giving a rousing welcome to the Okugyeabour Fie, the palace of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area.
In his welcome address, the paramount chief of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council, Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II expressed his profound gratitude to the India High Commissioner to Ghana for making time of his busy schedules to pay a working visit to the traditional council and the region as a whole.
Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II hinted that as a newly created region, the western north region lacks a lot of infrastructural projects which he believes the new bond Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council and the region would help close the gap between the new and the old region which western north region was carved from.
He indicated that the rich culture of India and that of Ghana will open avenues for tourism in the Sefwi Wiawso traditional area and hinted that on the 24th and 25th of November this month, the chiefs and people of the Sefwi Wiawso traditional area are celebrating the annual Eluo Festival which will showcase a large aspect of rich culture and urged the India High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Sugandh Rajaram to ensure exchange of culture to promote tourism due to the strong relationship Ghana has with the India government.
The Sefwi Wiawso Paramount chief appealed to the India High Commissioner to Ghana to assist in scholarships for needy but brighter students in the areas of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics.
He also calls on the India government to help establish an exchange programme with the Sefwi Wiawso College of Education and Colleges of Education in India.
Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II further disclosed that a couple of years ago the government of Ghana and India reached an MOU to establish a Cocoa Processing Factory in Sefwi Wiawso but the Covid 19 pandemic eroded the idea which he appealed to the India High Commissioner could help the laudable project to come into reality.
The paramount chief of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council also indicated and believes this could be done through with the support of Exim Bank Loan facility just like the Komenda Sugar Factory which was revamped in the year 2016 after its establishment in 1964 and believed a similar thing could be done for the Cocoa Processing Factory.
Katakyie Kwasi BumagamaIIl further disclosed that Sefwi lands abounds in rich deposits of Gold and Timber resources and that lack of employment has lured the youth to go into illegal mining (Galamsey ) activities which has been the major talk of the day because of the pollution of river bodies and the forest reserves and that he made a special appeal to the India High government through its High Commissioner to Ghana to help explore and set up refinery factories to absorb most of the youth which in a way will minimize Galamsey activities and if possible to put an end to it and other factories could be established in the timber industry.
He further noted that the bond of friendship which the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council with the India government mainly on Socio – Economic, Education (STEM) and Culture outlined above would help the traditional council and the western north region develop.
The India High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Mr Sugandh Rajaram in his address commended Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II led Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council and the western north regional coordinating council led by the regional minister Hon Richard Obeng for giving him a rousing welcome to Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council.
He noted that his visit as the first of its kind s High Commissioner to Ghana is visiting Sefwi Wiawso and the newly created western north region and it is a very important because of the strong relations and partnership Ghana and India has built over seven decades.
Mr Sugandh Rajaram indicated that the two countries have over the years build trust for developmental purposes which will always continue.
He said Accra alone should not see development from the India government but other regions should not be left out and by so doing he is paying working visits to all the sixteen regions in the country to familiarise himself as a High Commissioner to identify challenges in areas that needs development and employment so that his government could support due to the lasting relationship that has over the years existed between Ghana and India.
He further indicated that setting up of business ventures for people to secure employment opportunities to earn some income is the focus of the India government and Sefwi Wiawso Traditional area and the western north region will not be left out as he assured Nananom and government officials at the event.
The India High Commissioner to Ghana Mr Sugandh Rajaram was later decorated with a rich Kente Cloth to symbolise the rich culture between the two countries.
