The chiefs and people of Nkonya Traditional Area, last Saturday poured out into the streets of. Nkonya Ahenkro in a jubilant mood to show their appreciation for the creation of a new district with its capital at Nkonya. The new Biakoye District, which covers five traditional areas and five electoral areas was carved out of the Jasikan District and will contain the Biakoye Constituency. Jubilant chiefs from the entire Nkonya traditional area with white bands around both their wrists and heads were full of praises for the Kufuor administration for making their dreams come true during their lifetime. They unanimously pledged their support for the NPP government, and promised to translate their appreciation into votes for the party come the 2008 general elections. "We pledge our unflinching support for the present government under His Excellency President J.A Kufuor. We thank the NPP government very much and promise to translate our appreciation into votes come 2008 General Elections," said Nana Ampem-Darkoh II, Chief of Ahundwo and Ankobeahene of Nkonya Traditional Area. He made the statement on behalf of the chiefs at a press conference held at Nkonya Ahenkro last Saturday. The press conference was held by the chiefs to enable them express their gratitude to President Kufuor and the NPP government for the creation of the Biakoye District with its capital at Nkonya. The chiefs at the press conference gave the assurance that they would liaise with other traditional areas to ensure the speedy development of the new district. "We assure government of the NPP that we will unite with all the other traditional areas to facilitate the speedy development of the district," the chiefs said in a speech read on their behalf by Nana Ampem Darkoh. The Nkonya chiefs said, the gesture by government is a move that would hasten the pace of development in the new district. "There is no doubt that the creation of the new district has set an enabling atmosphere for total and accelerated development in the area. It is going to serve as a catalyst for job creation, particularly for the numerous youth in the area who are unemployed, the chiefs said. Touching on the readiness of the Nkonya area to host the district capital the chiefs said, "There are two police stations at Nkonya Ahenkro and Wurupong, and the former has been elevated to a district status. Nana Ampem Darkoh disclosed that the Wuruponghene, Nana Kwadjo Asiakwah II, has released a one-storey building to be used as a financial institution, which will soon take-off in the area, He explained joyfully, "Just after the announcement of the creation of the new Biakoye District, some financial institutions have expressed their willingness to immediately open banks to transact business in Nkonya." Other Chiefs in Nkonya, he said, have released land and infrastructure for the establishment of the various decentralized departments for the newly created district at no cost to the new Assembly, which he said, has been made possible by the instrumentality of Nananom. In the interim, the spokesman for the Nkonya chiefs, said, the chiefs and elders of Nkonya are ready with twenty five (25) resettlement quarters at Nkonya Wurupong and Tepo to accommodate staff of the District Assembly when the district takes off in January 2008. The chiefs said, the gesture is a clear demonstration of the present Government's commitment to decentralisation and thanked His Excellency President J.A Kufuor for the move. The choice of Nkonya is right, the chiefs said, and explained, Nkonya has more than twenty-one communities with a population of over 30,377, according to the District Water and Sanitation Plan of 2002. By the same statistics, they said, the newly created District has an overall population of 78.977 with 38 electoral polling stations and about 10,000 eligible voters. Source: The Independent