President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to preserving the Guan language and culture, describing the Guan people as the aborigines of Ghana who migrated to the territory around AD 1,000 and were the first to arrive.
He also pledged to work closely with their traditional authorities and other groups through District Assemblies on projects aimed at bridging the development gap, attracting investments, and creating jobs.
The President was speaking during a courtesy call at the Presidency by a delegation of more than 30 Guan chiefs from the Oti region and other parts of the country.
The Chiefs, led by the Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, were at the Presidency to discuss issues concerning Guans and matters of national importance.
President Mahama explained that government policy transfers 80% of District Assembly Common Fund allocations directly to the various MMDAs and emphasised that the active involvement of traditional authorities can inform priority choices regarding development projects, environmental protection, sanitation, and other critical issues.
He said the Constitution Review Committee recommended institutionalising this involvement.
“I encourage the chiefs to take an interest in the implementation process,” he noted.
President Mahama also stressed the need to preserve Guan languages, noting that many Guan youth unfortunately cannot speak their indigenous languages due to openness to ‘strangers’ whose mother tongues now dominate their communities.
He expressed hope of attending the next Guan congress to review progress made since the Anum project last year.
Officials present at the meeting included Dr Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff; Mahama Ayariga, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; and Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Presidential Advisor and Special Aide to the President.
