Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, the Omanhene of the new Juaben Traditional Area has indicated his readiness to establish a rural bank at Koforidua.
According to the Omanhene, the rural bank, which would be called the New Juaben Rural Bank would primarily offer soft loans to people within the area.
The already existing rural banks in the town, have not been able to satisfy the needs of the numerous traders with loans, the Omanhene said.
Explaining further, Daasebre said his decision to build the rural bank was in view of the fact that many people within the paramountcy were in dire need of soft loans to establish micro businesses.
That, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng said would relieve the people from securing loans from money lenders and other sources with high interest rates that would not be in the interest of the people. The Omanhene disclosed this at a dinner and awards night at Koforidua on Monday (December 26, 2022), as part of the Christmas festivities in the area.
A number of dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong; the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi; the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for New Juaben South, Isaac Appaw-Gyasi; Gabby Asare Otchere Darko; the Aburihene, Otoobour Djan Kwasi as well as other prominent citizens of the area attended the dinner.
This initiative by the Omanhene received the applause of Communications strategist, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, chairman for the event.
“The bank should engage consultants to develop business plans for all those interested in acquiring loans for their businesses to enable them to succeed.
Mr. Otchere-Darko
A Girls’ Senior High School for New Juaben
As part of the Omanhene’s transformational agenda, he also intends to establish a girls’ senior high school, which he believes would offer an opportunity for girls to obtain senior high school education.
“…Such establishments have become necessary because Koforidua, headquarters of the paramountcy as well as the Eastern Regional capital and the most populous in the region does not have a girls’ senior high school.”
Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III
Mr Otchere-Darko urged New Juaben citizens both at home and in the diaspora to support the Omanhene’s transformation agenda.
Speaking on behalf of the government, the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong also said the government has decided to partner the New Juaben Paramountcy to revive the Akwantukese Festival to become one of the best in the country.
The Akwantukese festival is celebrated at specific periods of the year to mark the migration of the people of New Juaben from Juaben in the Ashanti Region to their present abode at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
Winners of the Daasebre Table Tennis competition were presented with medals and trophies during the Daasebre Table Tennis competition held on Thursday, December 22, at the forecourt of the Yiadom Hwedie Palace. There, the new Juaben Table Tennis Club also presented a citation to Daasebre Kwaku Boateng for his commitment to developing the sport in Koforidua.