Use festivals to woo investors-Owusu-Agyei

Accra, April 26, GNA - The deputy Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei on Tuesday called on chiefs and district assemblies to use festivals to woo tourists and investors into country.

He said: "Festivals should be modified into a global affair with attractive packages and promoted through aggressive marketing and advertising strategies for the benefit of the people for accelerated development."

Mr Owusu-Agyei, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, was speaking in an interview with the GNA in Accra on Monday.

He said most traditional areas in the country were endowed with rich cultural heritage such as monuments, folklore, regalia, artefacts and tourist sites, which could be transformed whiles maintaining their originality and uniqueness to attract tourists and investors. Mr Owusu-Agyei, therefore, urged traditional rulers and the assemblies to collaborate efforts and to engage professionals to promote and market festivals for international recognition.

He also urged the people to identify and reactivate abandoned important festivals that were celebrated by their ancestors. Mr Owusu-Agyei said such initiatives could provide an opportunity for communal interaction and cohesion and the elimination of acrimony, bitterness and squabbles among the people.

He expressed the hope that the Aboakyer Festival of the chiefs and people of the Effutu Traditional Area, scheduled for April 30th to May 8th would bring progress to the people.

Mr Owusu-Agyei appealed to the Tuafo Number One Asafo Company and Dentsifo Asafo Number Two Company of the Traditional Area to ensure that the spirit of competitiveness, which characterise the celebration is translated into love, peace and unity.

He said if these were achieved, all social problems confronting Effutu could be solved, adding "Winneba needs peace for development." The Aboakyer festival would be climaxed by the hunting for live deer by the two Asafo groups. The first company to caught the animal would present it to the Omanhene of the Traditional Area at a durbar of chiefs and people.

Activities for the this year's celebration include regatta and tug of war, senior citizens walk, church service, parading of asafo gods, State dance and the crowning of Star of Winneba.

Mr Owusu-Agyei appealed to citizens and traditional rulers of the area and well-wishers to work towards a peaceful celebration.