The Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Livingstone Kobina Sam-Amoah, has asked chiefs in the country to have development plans to elevate their communities out of poverty. According to him, chiefs must be initiators of development projects. Speaking at a public lecture at Assorku in the Shama District of the Western Region to commemorate the one year anniversary of the chief of Assorko, Nana Brekrom II, Prof. Sam-Amoah, who is also the Provost at the College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, noted that chiefs are in a position to demand corporate social responsibility projects to improve the living standards of their people. He said “there is no company or organization that will operate in a community without getting land from the chiefs. In return, chiefs could demand for corporate social responsibility projects that will elevate the status of their people. When the sources of livelihood of the people are developed, it brings relief to the people, in the area of financial liberation. Our chiefs must encourage companies in their operational areas to invest in social intervention programs. That will help our communities to develop”. Prof Sam-Amoah believes chiefs are important stakeholders to drive development in communities even though they are not as powerful as they used to be. He encouraged all chiefs to emulate the steps taken by Nana Brekrom II, who has written a book outlining his vision for Assorkorman. The book titled: “Doing our part for the community we aspire” is a 24 page simplified masterpiece which spells out how traditional leaders can rethink and envision their communities. “It’s a step in the right direction which we will encourage our chiefs to emulate. It helps avoid disjointed courses of development for communities, and also deals with the loss of vision when one leader passes on to eternity. I am impressed with the step Nana Brekrom II has taken to follow the path of his predecessor Nana Brekrom I”. Prof. Sam-Amoah observed. Among topics in the book are “a look through my own eye: my ten inspirations, the makeup of the community we aspire, the bits and parts to play, the time we must give ourselves, the new mindset, and what we stand to lose if we fail to develop”. Credit:citifmonline.com