A cross section of traditional rulers at the 2024 Anfoeta Yam Festival
The Chiefs and People of Anfoeta in the Ho West District of the Volta Region have marked this year’s annual Yam Festival, with a call for peaceful coexistence as the nations readies itself for the 2024 general elections.
District Chief Executive Officer of the area, Ernest Apau who made the call, charged the indigenes to be tolerant towards each other as well as be mindful of their actions and utterances.
He emphasised the need to protect the free will of Ghanaians to elect their leaders, a remarkable feature that has characterised the country’s fourth republic.
Mr. Apau, while admitting some challenges facing the district, pledged government’s commitment to continue to undertake development projects to bring progress to the area and the region as a whole.
The people of Anfoeta and their Kinsmen from the Anfoega Traditional Area in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region, migrated from Oyo in Western Nigeria in the company of other Ewe-speaking groups in the early part of the 16th century and settled at a place called Ketu in Dahomey, now the Republic of Benin.
Subsequent migrations and struggle for freedom led them to their current location which is just about 22 kilometres from Ho, the Volta Regional Capital.
Each September, the people of Anfoeta celebrate Yam Festival to mark the beginning of the yam harvest season, a vital food source and a symbol of prosperity.
The objective this year is to raise funds to build a community centre which will serve as a hub for local development and also play a vital role in supporting the growth and well-being of the community.
Paramount Chief of the area, Togbe Kwasi Drah VII, made a clarion call on government to absorb the 17-units classrooms community technical school in the areas which has been lying idle for more than seven years.
He also urged government to construct the 21.1Km Anfoeta-Tsyome-Ziaavi-Ho road, which he said will contribute to the rapid development of the area.
“Our hardworking farmers will also heave a sigh of relief when the road is tarred as they can easily transport their foodstuffs to the Ho Market and other big markets around,” Togbe Kwasi Drah VII added.
He also called on indigenes to frequently visit home and contribute to the development of the area, while allaying any fears they may have of being harmed.
The Chief of Anfoeta Tsebi, Togbe Gblor Daketse V, whose suburb hosted this year’s festival, called on government and traditional leaders to ensure availability of enabling environment for the youths so as to realise a reasonable or better standard of living.
He called for the preservation of traditional culture, indicating that the unity of any group of people is guaranteed by their culture which is a product of their religious belief.
“It is rather unfortunate that the arrival of civilization and western culture has made us to forget our cultural practices. We think our heritage has been lost and traded off for the western ways,” he bemoaned.
Togbe Gblor Daketse V, also urged the Ghana Tourism Authority to leverage on the festival to help the community transform its Dinga waterfall into a tourist site.
Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, on his part said the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will see to it that the community technical school which he spearheaded, is absorbed into the public schools system.
He used the occasion to highlight some of the policies of the party, including the 24-Economy, free level 100 university education, establishment of a women development bank, among others.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak