On April 15, 2019, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo visited Techiman, the newly designated capital of the Bono-East Region. The visit was aimed at engaging with the regional chiefs (Nananom) and the people of the area. His first stop was at the palace of the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Osiadeye Akumfi Ameyaw IV, where the president expressed his deep gratitude to the people of Techiman for their support in the 2016 elections, which helped bring his government into power.
Osiadeye Akumfi Ameyaw IV warmly welcomed the president to the region and assured him of their continued support in advancing the development of the newly created Bono-East Region. He also shared that he had already allocated 200 acres of land under his jurisdiction for the region’s development. This land would be used to build the regional office and residential housing for regional staff.
The Omanhene also urged the president to expedite the posting of qualified personnel to the region to accelerate its development. He mentioned that several officers already posted to the area had visited him to introduce themselves. He took the opportunity to thank the president for responding to their request to create the region and for choosing Techiman as its capital.
In his response, President Akufo-Addo reassured the chiefs that the Head of the Local Government Service, Engineer Nana Ato Atta, had already appointed the Regional Coordinating Director and other key personnel to the region. He encouraged the people of the region to support the Regional Minister, his deputy, the Municipal Chief Executive, and the other technocrats working to develop the region. The president also promised to focus on improving the road network, particularly the roads in Techiman and other parts of the region.
The president further informed the chiefs that the Minister of Agriculture had submitted the Cashew Development Bill to Parliament for consideration. He announced that cashew would soon be treated as a major cash crop like cocoa, with all the associated benefits, and that there would be no tax on the export of cashew. A Cashew Management Board would also be established.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of unity among the political class, stating that cooperation and harmony would be key to the region’s progress. Afterward, the president and his entourage, along with the chiefs, visited the proposed site for the region’s development and held a sod-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of the work.
Later, the president held a town hall meeting at the Valley View University campus in Techiman, where he presented eight new vehicles and five motorbikes to Omanhene Akumfi Ameyaw IV for the Bono-East Region. The donation included two white Nissan pick-up trucks, three Toyota Hilux pick-ups, three Nissan cross-country vehicles, and five Yamaha motorbikes. These vehicles were intended for use in the region’s development efforts.
