A member of the Hogbetsotso Planning Committee, Agbotadua Kumasah, has revealed that Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was jeered over the weekend during the Hogbetsotso Za festival in the Volta Region because of his mention of non-existent projects.
According to him, prior to the Vice President’s entry, the spectators were cautioned against “embarrassing any invited dignitary”. Nonetheless, he indicated that the crowd became agitated when Dr Bawumia listed some achievements attained by the government.
Mr Kumasah stated that when the Asantehene and Kwahumahene spoke, people applauded them. He opined that when the Vice President started speaking about the unity between the Anlos and the Asanteman, the people were equally “enjoying and even clapping for him”.
However, he explained that when he mentioned the “economic situations that is when the trouble started”.
“He mentioned among others that they [NPP government] have built more airports, roads than any other government and the people who were there did not see the roads, airports and universities he was referring to. So, that brought some agitation and it became very difficult to control the people because none of what he was saying has happened in the area.”
Agbotadua Kumasah
On his part, the Volta and Oti Regional Director of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Alexander Nketia, called for government’s focus on festivals in the country to generate investments in the country. He expressed the need for government to draw crowds including prospective investors.
“We ought to begin to see how we can leverage more on these festivals to create additional investments in our localities. Most of these festivals are organised by the local planning committees. But which member of the Committee can add value to what is happening at the local level. And at what time do we bring in our programme for the event.”
Alexander Nketia
Mr Nketia stated that measures such as the mounting of exhibition centres at durbars will help in projecting festivals in the country. He highlighted that government representatives must be included in the planning committee of these festivals.
The GTA Director explained the role of the Authority will be to focus on the economic benefit the traditional area will have once it leverages on its festivals.
It will be recalled that Dr Bawumia on November 5, 2022, during his address at the Hogbetsotso Za festival in the Volta Region was booed by the crowd. In his speech, the Vice President touted the importance of the Anlo state to the development of the country. Nonetheless, the teeming crowd started to agitate once he began highlighting government’s achievements despite the prevailing hardship.
Dr Bawumia underscored the need for cultural sustainability, explaining that it is about “maintaining cultural beliefs, cultural practices, heritage conservation, culture as its own entity, and the question of whether or not any given culture will exist in the future”.
Stressing on the immense contributions of culture to economic development, especially through tourism, Dr Bawumia commended the Chiefs and people of Anlo state, for preserving the Hogbetsotso, which he said continues to attract visitors to the area, for several years.
The Vice President also touted the tourism potential of the area, adding that issues affecting the area, such as poor road networks and the tidal wave, are being considered by the government to boost the tourism potential of the area.
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