Nii Adjetey Agbo II, Acting President of the Tema Traditional Council, has urged residents to embrace development, maintain clean surroundings and adopt responsible lifestyles to safeguard the health and future of the community.

Nii Agbo, who is also the Mankralo of Tema, said the celebration of the Homowo Festival should be followed by a period of reflection and renewed commitment to addressing social and environmental challenges confronting the community.

Speaking during the Tema Homowo Festival, he said residents should not focus solely on festivities but also assess their lives and contribute meaningfully to the development of Tema.

“Nobody can develop Tema for us; rather, we ourselves must develop Tema,” he said.

He urged residents to maintain clean surroundings, noting that poor sanitation could contribute to the spread of communicable diseases.

He said cleanliness should become a shared responsibility among households and the wider community.

Nii Agbo also expressed concern about teenage pregnancy among girls in the community and appealed to parents to pay greater attention to their children’s activities and education.

He urged parents not to assume that providing money, clothing and other material needs was enough, stressing the importance of spending time with children and closely monitoring their development.

“Our children are our inheritance and future. Don’t just put money down and leave for work or other engagements without monitoring their activities,” he said.

The Acting President said parents should prioritise the education of their children and avoid excessive spending on non-essential activities at the expense of their children’s welfare and educational needs.

He noted that educational attainment had become increasingly important in securing employment opportunities and urged parents to support their children to pursue higher education and acquire relevant skills.

The Mankralo also announced plans by the Traditional Council to strengthen enforcement of its directives against excessive noise associated with birthday celebrations and funerals.

He said some residents continued to organise events beyond stipulated closing times despite directives issued by the Traditional Council.

“The leadership of the council is forming a committee to enforce disciplinary actions on individuals who have decided to violate the law regarding nuisance noisemaking in the name of birthday celebrations and funerals,” he said.

He warned that persons who continued to disregard the directives would face enforcement action.

Nii Agbo said the council was also considering engaging persons from outside the community to support enforcement efforts, particularly in identifying violations involving underage children and the use of illicit drugs.

He appealed to residents to comply voluntarily with the directives rather than wait for enforcement officers to intervene.

The Acting President commended the Ghana Police Service for maintaining security and peace during the festival and urged the Service to sustain its efforts in Tema and other parts of the country.