During this year’s Akwasidae Kese celebration in the Eastern Region, the Paramount Chief of the Akwamu State, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, made a resolute commitment to combat illiteracy within the Akwamu community.
At a grand dinner event, the Akwamuhene introduced the Odeneho Kwafo Akoto Education Fund, aimed at offering educational scholarships to talented, intelligent, yet underprivileged students in the Akwamu State.
In his impassioned speech, the Akwamuhene underscored the significance of harnessing the human resource potential of the Akwamu people.
He drew a parallel between the heroic efforts of his predecessors, who had established a formidable empire for the Akwamu community, and his own ambitious vision of creating an empire of intellectuals.
He firmly believes that it is now the moment to initiate a new campaign, one against illiteracy, with the objective of nurturing and cultivating the intellectual potential of his community.
“The only war I want to declare on behalf of my people is the war against illiteracy. The weapon against poverty must be fought with the mind and heart. In the words of the great man, Nelson Mandela, ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’
“We observe with grave concern the dilution, erosion and even rejection of our values, customs and traditions by some of our young people who are often attracted by the influence of other cultures. With education, we can reverse this trend and return our young people.
“Together we can turn their dreams into reality, potentials into achievement, and obstacles into opportunities. So I invite you to help me fight this menace of lack of relevant development oriented education from all angles. I really appreciate all of you in your efforts to return the Akwamu state to its proper place in history. Let us be the catalyst of change, the enablers of dreams and the champions of education,” he said.