President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially opened the ‘Prof. Adu-Boahen Square’, constructed by the Middle Belt Development Authority in the Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
Construction of the park is intended to host all public gatherings and other important occasions of the Juaben people, and forms part of fulfilling the ‘one-million-dollars per constituency’ pledge committed to the three Development Authorities.
The three Development Authorities are tasked with implementation of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) – the Programme that will ensure disbursement of an equivalence of one million dollars per constituency per year, in fulfillment of the president’s 2016 campaign pledge.
The Middle Belt Development Authority, established by ACT 962, exercises its mandate in five regions. They are the Ashanti, Bono East, Ahafo, Bono and Eastern Regions.
President Akufo-Addo said the Juaben people’s decision to name the park after the astute politician and academician, the late Prof. Adu Boahen, is commendable and demonstrates how the late son of Juaben is revered.
He acknowledged the immeasurable contribution of the late New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart to current democratic governance, and lauded him for the opportunities he created for him to be involved with the country’s political affairs.
The president observed that despite being named as a member of the Council of State by former President John Agyekum Kufour, Prof. Adu-Boahen could not assume office due to ill-health.
The late Prof. Adu-Boahen was the first Ghanaian to receive a PhD. in African History from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 1959. He lectured at the University of Ghana, Legon, from 1959 to 1990 and was the first African to chair the Department of History, in 1967.
The Paramount Chief of the Juaben Traditional Area and Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, addressing the gathering explained that the memorial facility had been made possible through the promise of the president in 2016. This was to significantly support local development.
He observed that through the instrumental leadership of the Chief Executive of the Middle Belt Development Authority, Mr. Joe Danquah, the park was duly completed as planned.
Additionally, Juaben will benefit from other development projects – including the construction of an Astro-turf stadium and ‘public hygiene’ facilities.
Nana Siriboe said the influential role of the late Prof. Adu-Boahen in development of the Juaben Traditional Area, including establishment of the Juaben Rural Bank, will forever be committed to the memory of the Juaben people.
The Juabenhene observed that Prof. Adu-Boahen’s academic and political exploits are known all over the world, and therefore as an indigene of the Juaben area deserves to be honoured and celebrated by the people.
He announced that a series of programmes will soon commence in the Juaben area, in celebration of his 50-year reign as Chief of Juaben.
It is hoped that the programmes planned for the 50th-anniversary celebrations will further set the stage for more development projects in the Asante Juaben Traditional Area over the next 50 years.
