Aboakyer festival launched

Winneba (Central Region) -- The Effutu Traditional Council on Monday formally launched this year's Aboakyer festival of the chiefs and people of the area at an extra-ordinary session of the council at Winneba. The theme for this year's event is, "promotion of sports and culture as a vehicle for social integration to achieve peace for the development of the Effutu state".

Launching it, Nenyi Ghartey VII, Omanhene of the Effutu Traditional Area and President of the Council, said this year's festival would lay emphasis on sports and other vital developmental programmes. The festival had been slated for 4 May, but various activities commemorating the festival would start from 27 April and end on 5 May.

He said the Traditional Council has finalised plans to use this year's festival to generate funds to promote sanitation and other developmental issues, especially sports to unite the people for better and sustained socio-economic advancement.

Nenyi Ghartey said the past year had seen some significant progress in the social lives of the people, adding, "this calls for a review of our agenda to put more impetus and purpose to this year's festival programme to help our people towards peace and unity which is the 'master key' for development."

He said to address these vital agenda, the Traditional Council would soon inaugurate an "Effutu development foundation" that would devise effective means of attaining development. Nenyi Ghartey said the Traditional Council has also plans to raise the awareness and interest in sports among the youth in the area, both as a recreation and profession.

This is because the Council has noticed with great admiration the excellent performance of most Effutu children in sports at the various levels all over the country. To this end, the Council has planned to turn the fun games into proper competitions with better prizes to encourage participation by all so as to unearth the talented ones for national use.

Nenyi Ghartey expressed the Council's appreciation to the National Sports College management and other organisations for their efforts to implement the marathon race expected to precede the Aboakyer and hoped they would continue to lend their support for the success of the programme.

He also commended the National Olympic Committee for its support and appealed to Ghanaians at home and abroad wishing to participate in this year's Aboakyer to do so to make the celebrations a splendid and progressive one.

Nenyi Ghartey said after the festival, the council would revive the weekly soccer competition among various teams in the area, which had been discontinued for some years now.

He said the Council would organise a special soccer competition during the festival to enable it to raise a team for sponsorship in the coming season, adding, "the prospects are there, let us work together as a family to ensure peace and progress.