The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, has commended Fantes who migrated into Ashanti and various parts of the country for co-existing peacefully with their hosts and contributing meaningfully towards their development initiatives. She reminded them, however, that it was important for them to join forces with those at home to rebuild the Central Region into one of most vibrant and best resourced regions in the country. Mrs Benyiwa Doe noted that the resolve of migrated Fantes not to go back home could deny their children the privilege of knowing their heritage as Fantes. Mrs Benyiwa Doe made that observation in reaction to a comment made by the Chief of Mfantseman in Ashanti, Nana Arkorful Owese, in his welcoming address that they were living comfortably in Kumasi and its environs and would, therefore, not go back home. Nana Owese was addressing the Fante Community in Ashanti and a cross section of invited guests during the second Mfantse Day celebration of the Mfanteman Council in the Ashanti Region. The festival was organised to mark the Mfantse Migration to Asante at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi. The celebration was on the theme: "Using Ethnicity to Promote National Peace and Cohesion". Outlining some of the ongoing development projects in the Central Region, Mrs Benyiwa Doe said the situation which compelled many schools to have classes under trees was over, as the government had provided over 46 facilities to cater for children of school going age. She said the region was well-endowed with educational facilities, but parents were not encouraging their children to access them, which had contributed to the increase in teenage pregnancies in the region. According to her, plans were underway to develop an estate housing project that would be rented to workers at the Western Region. She said the project would also help generate adequate revenue for the region to support development initiatives and enhance the standard of living among the people. "We can further benefit immensely from the oil discovery by taking up educational courses in the oil industry that will also help to generate employment for the youth in our area, " Mrs Benyiwa Doe added. The Central Regional Minister paid tribute to the forefathers who migrated to the Ashanti Region and noted that their good deeds afforded the Fantes the opportunity to be accepted in the Asante community to the extent that an area had been named after Fantes, "Fante New Town". She further expressed appreciation to the Asantehene and Asanteman for the hospitality they had shown to the Fantes and urged members of the council to be disciplined and contribute towards the growth of the Mfanteman Council of Ashanti. The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, reminded the people of the uniqueness of the Ashanti Region, which is endowed with peace-loving people whose warm reception to all inhabitants was second to none. He said it was the hospitality and their desire to co-exist peacefully with their guests that had contributed to the naming of major communities within the city after other tribes. "Communities such as Fante New Town, Moshie Zongo, Anloga, Aboabo among others, clearly attest to the hospitality of the Ashantis,” he added. Mr Opoku Manu also reminded the Fantes of their obligations to the community, Asanteman, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and other state institutions. He advised them to be law-abiding citizens, who would honour their commitments, including paying their taxes and special rates imposed by the assembly as their means of contributing to the development of the region and the country as a whole. Nana Boakye Ansah Debrah, Asokore Mamponghene, who represented the Asantehene, commended the Fantes for the effective way they had developed Fante New Town, which was considered as one of the beautiful suburbs in the Kumasi Metropolis. Nana Debrah encouraged other tribes in the region to emulate the development initiatives of the Fantes. The chief of the Mfanteman Council in Ashanti, Nana Arkorful Owese, gave a brief history of the council and noted that they formed the group in the early 1990s to gather all the Fantes in the region under one umbrella. He explained that the celebration of the day was to express appreciation to the Asantehene and the people of Ashanti for their hospitality and the peaceful manner they had lived with them. He said it was also to pay tribute to their ancestors, who migrated to the region, for their humility, which had given them a place and a land in the region. Other guests who graced the occasion were the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfanteman West, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr Samuel Sarpong and the Chief of Anomabo and Mpontuhen of Akropong Mawerehene, Nana Egyir Aggrey II. Source: Daily Graphic