Amu Za Festival to be dedicated to Asantehene

Kumasi, Oct 9, GNA - The Amu Za Festival, a traditional festival of descendants of some ethnic groups in the Volta Region, particularly the Anlos resident in the Ashanti Region, is to be dedicated to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene.

Togbi S. K. Fugah chief of the Anlo Community in the Ashanti Region, who announced this said the decision to dedicate the festival to the Asantehene is in recognition of the fatherly role the Asantehene had always played, not only towards those from the Volta Region, but all other ethnic groups in Asanteman.

Togbi Fugah made the announcement at the Voltarian Co-ordinating Council (VCC) meeting in Kumasi on Saturday at which issues in respect of the festival were planned and a Planning Committee inaugurated. The seven-member Committee has Mr. Cletus Yaw Fianyo as its chairman.

The VCC is a voluntary association opened to all descendants of the Volta Region residing outside the region but it is however, not the mouthpiece of all ethnic groups in the Volta Region. The festival, which was launched in October 2003, is expected to end at the close of this year, comprises of a main durbar of chiefs, elders and people of the Volta Region, drumming and dancing with the climax of it being a clean-up exercise at the Manhyia Palace and its environs on October 27 this year.

Togbi Fugah used the occasion to appeal to charitable organizations and corporate bodies to assist in cash and kind to make the one-year long Amu Za festival a success.