Anlos celebrate Hogbetsotso Festival

Anloga (Volta Region) - Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development, has urged Kingmakers to recognise the importance of chiefs to community development and facilitate their unimpeded installation, where required.

He was addressing a durbar of Chiefs and people of Anloga to climax the celebration of this year's Hogbetsotso Festival under the theme: "Unification and Reconciliation of the Anlo State."

Bartels, who represented President John Agyekum Kufuor said the stalemate in the installation of a new Awomefia, who, he said, was rated as one of the top ten chiefs in the country, has created a serious vacuum in the Anlo State, which needed to be filled quickly.

He said the theme chosen for the celebration was in accord with the national reconciliation initiative to review the country's past, make amends and end the estrangement of the citizenry who suffered from past mistakes.

It is in the same spirit that the Anlos should work towards overcoming their differences and allow for the installation of a new Awomefia, Bartels implored. He described the Anlos as people who cherished freedom and democracy for which they were prepared to lay down their lives.

Bartels assured them that the government was looking for funds for the resettlement of the people of Vodza, Kedzi and Adzido as part of the Keta Sea defence project because the original loan of 84 million United States dollars, for the project did not include resettlement.

He was optimistic that the completion of the project would restore the former glory of the Anlo State. Bartels asked the Ministries of Works and Housing, Private Sector evelopment, Tourism and Food and Agriculture to explore the restoration of economic potentials for salt production, fishing, vegetable processing, and tourism infrastructure development after the project was completed.

Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture urged the Anlos to protect their culture and explore and develop its tourism potentials. Kofi Dzamesi, Deputy Volta Regional Minister said, chieftaincy, land, ethnic and religious disputes are having a heavy toll on the country's development and called for a change.

Togbui Awusu 11, Awadada of Anlo said the quarrels over the selection of a new Awomefia continued to destabilise the traditional governance of the Anlos. He thanked the government for the progress made in the sea defence project. Among those present at the celebration were Victor Gbeho, Member of Parliament for Anlo and Oba Yaa Afrifa, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).