Gifty Anti (right) and Comfort Soyokuor
NENE Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, has conferred honorary awards – “Yokama” (Virtuous Woman) – on two prominent Ghanaian journalists for 2018 – Gifty Anti and Comfort Soyokuor Quarcoo-Tchire.
The ”Yokama” award, instituted in 2003 by the Konor, is a prestigious award in Manya Krobo which is conferred on women with distinction, excellence and virtue. It takes place on every Monday of the Ngmayem Festival week at the forecourt of the Konor’s palace at Odumase-Krobo.
Gifty Anti, a Fante, who hails from Cape Coast, is a journalist, a broadcaster, and the hostess of the ‘Standpoint’ programme on Ghana Television (GTV) which discusses issues affecting women in Ghana.
Her co-award recipient, Soyokuor Quarcoo-Tchire, is also a journalist with GTV and hails from Kordiabe in the Shai Traditional Area of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
Before naming the recipients for this year’s awards, the Konor took his time to clarify and explain the ”Yokama” concept.
According to Nene Sakite II, known in private life as Seth Larnor Nyarko, and enstooled in 1998, the “Yokama” awards are not only for hard-working and industrious Krobo women, but it goes to all women in Ghana who are making impacts in society.
He explained: “The idea behind Yokama is to award women who are hard working, industrious, and are making impacts in our communities. They are women who, through their toil and sweat, are bringing progress to Ghana and are role models in society. Yokama is not about beauty, women who can dance beautifully, or could sing well. It goes for women not only in Manya Krobo but the whole Ghana”.
He said these two Yokama award recipients are distinguished individuals who by their dint of hard work, have influenced citizens in the entire Krobo area, Dangme land, Ghana and the entire world.
”Kloma (Krobo land) has seen their hard work. We are going to award them to motivate them. They are Kloma Yokama”, the Konor stated.
The colorful ceremony was attended by the MP of the area, Ebenezer Okletey Tei Larbi; the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh; the MCE for Upper Manya Krobo, Felix Nartey Odjao; and Nene Detse I, a developmental chief of the area.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Odumase – Krobo