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| Togbe Afede XVI Speaking at the Durbar |
It was virtually a clash of products and service banners in
Ho on Saturday, as chiefs and people of Asogli, countless other chiefs and
revelers gathered to crown their 2013 Yam Festival, with a mammoth durbar.
The celebration also marked the 10th Anniversary of the
installation of Togbe Afede XIV as the Agbogbome Fia of the Asogli State,
comprising four traditional setups, Akoefe, Ho, Kpenoe and Takla.
The event under the theme: "Traditional Leadership and
Development Redefined" also attracted patrons from the Republics of Togo
and Benin.
President John Dramani Mahama, who was Guest of Honour, said
chieftaincy was no longer pomp, pageantry and opulence but intrinsically linked
with development.
“You are a symbol of that development,” he stated, referring
to Togbe Afede.
President Mahama said much as government had the responsibility
to transform the lives and dignity of the people, the citizenry also had the
responsibility to support government to achieve the development targets.
He said under a Chinese Development Bank loan, government
would construct two landing sites in the Volta Region and complete the eastern
corridor road.
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| President Mahama |
The President said government in collaboration with the
Japanese government would under the Yen loan Portfolio also construct a new bridge
on the Lower Volta River.
He said government would also build a new interchange at the
Tema roundabout to ease congestion in the area.
President Mahama said government would construct the Sogakope
Water Project to supply potable water to the Volta Region and to parts of
southern Togo.
He said government would also upgrade the Ho Regional
Hospital into a teaching hospital that would serve as a training and research
centre.
He also directed the Ministry of Finance to pay the
counterpart funding for all Self Help Electricity Projects throughout the
country in order to ensure that 80 percent of Ghanaians enjoy electricity by
2016.
President Mahama condemned land and chieftaincy disputes that
had bedeviled the country over the years and appealed to the people to unite
for rapid socio-economic development.
Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbomofia of the Asogli State, said
development was a shared responsibility and appealed to government to bring together
all the stakeholders of development to brainstorm on the way forward.
He commended President Mahama for inviting the political
leadership of Togo to the programme.
The Agbomofia appealed to chiefs of the region to educate the
people and help eliminate negative traditions that inhibit development and
promote the positive ones.
"Some reform will be necessary if the institution of
chieftaincy is to facilitate development and I want to ask that we uphold and
respect traditional practices and customs that inspire us” He said.
Togbe Afede paid homage to those, both alive and dead, who
took the decision to make him king, pledging never to relent on the path of
progress he had been treading.
“I knew that many people desired to be selected by the
kingmakers, and were saddened the mantle fell on the unwilling James Akpo
(currently Togbe Afede).
“I acknowledge them and thank them because their interest
underscored the importance of the great Asogli Paramount Stool. “I invite them
to come along so we can make the Stool even greater.
“All citizens have a role to play in the unfolding history of
Ho Asogli,” the venerated chief stated.
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| Some chiefs from Togo |
There were fraternal greetings from President Faure Gnassingbe,
President of Togo, Togbe Agorkorli IV, chief of the Ewes in Togo, who led a
100-member delegation from that country and a representative of the Asantehene.
There was noticeable presence of Chinese at the grounds,
reflecting the developing business ties between Togbe Afede, as a Business
Executive and China.
The Volta Region also has a development pact with China’s
Ningxia Autonomous Province.
As the durbar ended, the skies darkened and rain poured down
for about 45 minutes pushing the celebration, with loud music and choked drinking
bars deeper into the night.
Culled from GNA
Culled from GNA
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