Kofi Dzamesi
The 2019 edition of Ehi Nutome Galiza? which is celebrated by the people of Ehi in the Ketu North District of the Anlo State in the Volta Region? was climaxed, with a call on the people to resist attempts of turning festival grounds into political arena.
The Minister of Chieftaincy & Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi, made the call when he addressed a gathering of celebrants at a colourful durbar on Saturday, September 28, 2019.
He entreated the people to regard festivals as avenues for galvanising resources and unifying people towards a developmental goal rather than promoting political agendas that tend to create division among people.
Speaking on the developmental needs of the people, Mr. Dzamesi gave the assurance that a bigger market would be constructed for the town to enable the women to expand their gari business.
On display were finished gari products and women who exhibited their gari processing skills amidst cultural performances.
The occasion, which was organised under the theme: ‘Empowering Women Through Agriculture & Entrepreneurship’, was patronised by dignitaries comprising traditional heads and subjects within the Anlo State.
Also present were political figures that included the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr Titus Glover, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, Mr. James Klutse Avedzi, among others.
The Dufie of Ehi, Torgbui Dzeble Adukpo IV, in his address, made an appeal to government to help Ehi and its surrounding towns achieve their vision of becoming a major hub for gari production in the country by providing the requisite infrastructure that would boost cassava production.
He suggested that a deliberate effort at boosting cassava cultivation and gari processing could feed into the government’s agricultural flagship project of ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’.
He mentioned some infrastructural deficit of the town such as poor road network, lack of market structures and the abandonment of cassava factory project.
“After developing our patented six special gari varieties, we need help to expand production to export quality and quantity,” Torgbui Adukpo disclosed.
For his part, Mr. Glover pledged his continuous assistance to the people, whom he described as people with hardworking spirit.
He also promised to convey the plight of the chief and his people concerning the bad nature of their roads to the appropriate heads at the Ministry of Roads & Highways.