General News of Monday, 29 September 2014

Source: Anita Frimpong

VEEP Launches Homofest 2014

The Vice President, His Excellency Paa kwesi Amissah Arthur, has appealed to traditional leaders in the Greater Accra region to reduce land litigation and the problem of land gaurds.

This, according to the Vice Presiden, will not only lure investors into the country but afford them the needed peace to develop and create jobs for people in the country .

His Excellency Paa kwesi Amissah Arthur made the appeal at the official launch of a festival dubbed “homofest 2014”, under the theme: unity and development., and added that litigation threatens the unity and development that the nation has strive to achieve over the years . The theme he said is significant in the sense that the country want to drive culture to accelerate the socio cultural advancement in most communities within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

He disclosed that ‘’ homofest’’ is a festival mooted by President John Dramani Mahama to appreciate and honour the Ga Dangbe Traditional Area and to bring the community together to promote the rich culture of the various traditional councils. “Today’s event demonstrates how the Ga Dangbe’s use festivals to convene the chiefs and people to promote development in the Greater Accra region’. His Excellency Amissah Athur made emphasis on government’s effort to reduce the outbreak of cholera in the Greater Accra region and Ghana as a whole. He therefore declares his support for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s initiative to organize a clean up exercise once every Saturday to keep communities clean. He further called on chiefs, queen mothers, workers and individuals to join hands in the crusade to promote proper sanitation in the community and also charged District Assemblies to support the campaign by implementing sanitation by-laws. Minister for Tourism, Culture and creative Arts, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare, on her part, explained that the rationale behind the festival is to generate an upsurge in tourism visitation and help transform the local economies of the host communities. She said the celebration of homofest coincides with World Tourism Day which is being celebrated worldwide with community development”. This means that unity and development is the only tool that can be use to drive communities. Mrs.Ofosu Adjare mentioned categorically that unity and development can also be achieved through showcasing ones culture, tradition, customs and values. She therefore called on traditional leaders and individuals to take advantage of the cultural resources to improve the standard of life of people in the country. She advised the people to be mindful of the environment and keep the communities clean to avoid infection of contagious diseases.