Sunyani: Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Dr Agyemang Badu II, the Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional Area in the Bono Region, has presented $100,000 and a thousand bags of cement to support the construction of a Dialysis Center in the region. The Council of Bono and Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) is putting up the facility in Sunyani, the regional capital, to enhance access and help tackle kidney-related diseases.
According to Ghana News Agency, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Badu II, also the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, made the presentation at the just-ended 2025 Annual Convention of COBAANA, an association of Bono and Ahafo natives in North America, held in Denver, Colorado, in the United States. He urged Ghanaian residents in the US and Canada to unite as one people in their quest to foster developmental projects in their home country.
A statement issued and signed by Baffour Owusu Sika Aduomi, the General Secretary of COBAANA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, said the paramount chief was the special guest of honour at the fund-raising rally to climax the convention. It mentioned that Dr Nick Danso Abeam, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Link Network Service, donated $50,000, while Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions together contributed $40,000 to support the project.
Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Dr Badu II was quoted saying, 'The time has come for Ghanaians to put aside tribal differences as there's strength in unity. Remittances from the diaspora to Ghana contribute immensely to the country's GDP; however, the excessiveness of import duty is hindering the exportation of goods from North America, Europe, and other parts of the world to Ghana.' He also criticized the mismanagement of resources sent from abroad by some people in Ghana, leading many in the diaspora to withhold future remittances.
The statement added that Osagyefo appealed to Ghanaian lawmakers to reverse the laws that prohibited dual citizens from being elected to parliament. The three-day convention, well-attended by COBAANA members from all 15 chapters across the United States and Canada, was themed 'The health of our people is our concern' and saw the presence of other important dignitaries from Ghana, including traditional rulers from all the regions.
Among the dignitaries were Odeneho Dr Afram Brimpong III, the Paramount Chief of the Suma Traditional Area and a member of the Council of State, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, a former envoy and Board Chairman of the Bui Power Authority managing the Bui Generating Station, and several Members of Parliament.
Dr DeGraft Kwafo Gyan, the Chairman of COBAANA, expressed his appreciation to the chiefs, queens, MPs in the region, and COBAANA executives for their support. He mentioned that COBAANA is also working on providing mechanized boreholes for some of the communities in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions.
The statement quoted Nana Bennet Akantoa, who chaired the event, highlighting the impact of the Ghanaian diaspora in shaping the country's progress through remittances, investments, skills, and knowledge. The event featured a tour of the Red Rocks Mountains, a youth talent night, and concluded with a fund-raising dinner dance at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Denver's Tech City.