1973 AKOMASE SPEECH FOUND.



 A 1973 Akomase speech from the Central Regional Commissioner Commander, J. K. Amedume, found from the archive of the late Mr. Kweku Andah, father to Captain Topi Kojo Otu Anderson. 


ADDRESS BY THE CENTRAL REGIONAL COMMISSIONER COMMANDER, J. K. AMEDUME ON THE OCCASION OF THE AKOMASE FESTIVAL AT SENYA BERAKU ON SATURDAY 25TH AUGUST, 1973.


Nananom, Ladies and Gentlemen,


I feel extremely happy to be here with you this afternoon for the celebration of the "Akomase" Festival. It is on this occasion that you remember your renowned ancestors and sing their praises. Those ancestors of yours whom you single out for praises carved names for themselves by rendering exemplary and dedicated service during their life. The worthy examples of these illustrious sons of your state should encourage and inspire you to do your duty to your Nation and your state. There is no greater honour than to be given the opportunity to serve your nation, and wherever you may find yourselves you should strive to make your mark by giving devoted and sincere service. It is only people who serve diligently and honestly to promote the welfare of their fellow citizens who leave their foot-prints on the sands of time and are revered from generation to generation. While we pray for happiness and prosperity at this festival we should remember that prosperity comes only through diligent and sincere work. 


2. Nananom, Ladies and Gentlemen, I should like to remind you that this annual festival should not be observed with only merry making. You should consider it as a day of reckoning of your performance during the past year. It should be a day of assessing yourselves and comparing your efforts with others to find out what you have been able to achieve for yourselves, your state and your country. After you have made this objective assessment of your role in the affairs of the state, you should then be able to say whether or not you deserve really to be satisfied with your achievements. I think the intensity of your merry making and happiness in celebrating this annual festival should be based on the measure of your past performance for progress for your state and your county. 


3. To those of you who live outside Senya Beraku let this occasion remind you of the allegiance you owe to your birth-place. Let each of you resolve to contribute your quota towards the progress of this renowned town of Senya Beraku. Your contribution can take any form. You may submit constructive suggestions for the improvement of this town and you may also donate money for specific projects. I must say that criticisms accompanied by useful and constructive suggestions are also welcome. This town can only be developed through co-operative effort.


4. In this connection, Nananom, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my information that in 1971 the Senya Beraku community in Liberia repatriated an amount of ₵1,200.00 to the Senya Beraku Development Association in Accra towards the provision of pipe-borne water in Senya Beraku. I have the pleasure to announce that again the Senya Beraku community in Liberia have decided to launch a programme for the collection of contributions towards development projects here in Senya Beraku. In this regard, they have promised to collect at least 2,000 dollars by the first week in.....


You can assess the original speech (PDF) from this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16VZi_BVizr7Gc3gOcZeCWws08rmmshS7/view?usp=drivesdk


Here is a little information about the speech writer:


Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume served in the Ghana Navy.


He served as Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy from June 1977 to June 1979. He was appointed twice to this position first from May 1972 to January 1973 and then from June 1977 to June 1979.


Arrest and execution.


He was arrested in June 1979 when Junior Officers of the Ghana armed forces staged a coup d'etat on June 4th 1979 and released Flight Lieutenant J J Rawlings who had been arrested and was on trial for attempting a coup on May 15 1979. The officers then formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and made JJ Rawlings their leader. Under the aegis of the AFRC 8 senior Military Offices including two former Heads of States as well as Rear Admiral Joy Amedume were put on military trial and executed on June 26 1979. In 2001, their bodies were released to their families for reburial.


Source: Wikipedia

Speech was found by Capt. Topi Kojo Otu Anderson. And typed for your read on social media by Abeiku Okai. 

Senya Beraku History And Culture

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