Asogli Yam Festival needs a global outlook - Gomashie

Madam Dzifa Gomashie, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, on Saturday launched the 2016 Asogli Yam Festival with a call on the Asogli State to give the festival a global outlook.

She said the festival has the potential to make the Volta Region a destination of choice for local and international tourists and asked the Planning Committee to package the festival as a product for the Region.

Madam Gomashie also asked the indigenes to be welcoming and help make the festival “all inclusive” by involving other traditional areas in the Region to enhance the event.

She asked Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies to get actively involved in the celebration and explore opportunities to market potentials of their districts.

The four-week celebration on the theme, “Let’s unite for peace, stability and development.” is packed with innovative traditional events and expected to attract tourists from Germany, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Togo and members of the diplomatic corps.

Some activities for the celebration are fireworks, mountain climbing, street carnivals, lectures, musical concerts, sporting events, cultural nights, business forums and a pilgrimage to Notsie in the Republic of Togo, the ancestral home of Ewes.

Brigadier General Martin K. Ahiaglo (Rtd), Chairman, 2016 Asogli Yam Festival Planning Committee, called on indigenes of the Volta Region to make the festival a special homecoming event and the “best fun-loving memorable celebration.”

He said since the revival of the festival in 2003 after the installation of Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV, the festival had united the people and promoted socio-economic development of the State and the Region.

Togbe Kotoku XI, Paramount Chief of Kpenoe Traditional area, who chaired the launch urged the people to remain united and work together for the development of Asogli, Volta Region and Ghana.