The Chiefs and People of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area have launched their 2019 Ngmayem festival with a call on the people to unite in the interest of the development of the area.

Nene Tetteku Gbadadji I, Asawatse of Agbom who represented the Konor of the area, Nene Sackite II while underscoring the need for Kroboland to unite urged the people to approach the traditional authorities with any difficulties they might encounter for the necessary resolution and not resort to slurring the image of the traditional Council.

This, he observed was the best way towards enhancing unity and development since public attacks in his opinion was tantamount to disgracing, not just the Manya Krobo paramouncy but Kroboland as a whole.

The theme for this year's festival, which will come off in the last week of October is “Culture, the bedrock for promoting unity and development”.

Activities lined up for the festivities include a Church Service, cleanup exercise, games, Durbar of chiefs and people, holding of a Miss Yokama, a health walk and the performance of traditional rites by the Asafo companies to invoke their gods in preparation for the festival.

Nene Tetteku Gbadadji I who launched the festival said the launch was to announce to all stakeholders of the upcoming festival to hold themselves in readiness for the occasion.

Nene who underscored the importance of security in development bemoaned the recent spate of lynching in the area and called for suspected thieves to be brought before the law. The chief also expressed disgust over the act and encouraged the people, especially the youth not to lynch suspected thieves and other offenders of the law but hand them over to the law enforcement agencies for the necessary action.

He added that despite recent elements of disunity and divisions in the area, Ngmayem 2019 will be celebrated nevertheless.

The Ngmayem festival is the King’s festival with a unique tradition, bequeathed to the people through successful celebrations, keeping the religious and cultural aspects just as it used to be.

Nene Tetteku Gbadadji I in addition indicated that without the festival, there is no Kroboland and called on all sons and daughters of the land to come home and contribute their quota to enable the traditional council and the Assembly to achieve its aspirations and initiatives towards the total development of the area.

He said development was vital in every sphere of life and appealed to his people to live in peace and harmony devoid of acrimony and called on the people to ensure the upkeep of healthy sanitation practices. Chairman for the occasion and Honourable deputy Eastern regional minister, agreed with the chief’s call for peace, unity, development and educational opportunities.

Samuel Nuettey Ayertey avers that government’s introduction of the free SHS policy was ample testimony of its commitment to the course of education and urged the Ngmayem Planning Committee to ensure the successful running of the Ngmayem educational trust fund to benefit the people, especially students. He averred that the theme for the occasion, Culture, the bedrock for promoting unity and development, was ample justification of the need for unity before development, adding that Krobos are poised to ensure that this is achieved.

The Deputy Minister also disclosed that government had approved the construction of the first phase of a total of 8km of roads in Lower Manya. The roads which will be part of this phase include the Atua hospital road, Kpong Quarters roads, Nuaso town roads and Tetteh-Bio – Agbom road.

Community Relations Officer of the Volta River Authority, Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II who sat in as a special guest for the occasion reiterated the VRA’s continued support for the Ngmayem festival.

The Kade chief who recalled the long standing relationship between the VRA and the celebration of the Ngmayem festival was hopeful that the profound relationship between the two would encourage the further support for the occasion.

Later, Nene Tetteku Gbadadji I launched the festival and festival clothe for the celebrations.

There was also an appeal for funds in aid of the organization of the festival. The launch was interspersed with the singing of traditional songs and cultural performances