This year's homowo festival of the people of Tema, Kpone, and Nungua was on Tuesday climaxed with a regatta and tug of war at Tema Manhean organised by the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA), with Kpone emerging the winners.

The games, were keenly contested by both young men and women of the three traditional areas at the canoe beach, at the Tema Fishing Harbour.

After a three round voyage from the beach to a far distance on the sea, the Kpone group was adjudged the winners even after they had protested against the changing of contestants and canoes by the Tema group at the final lap.

They took away, a trophy and 800,000 cedis. Nungua placed second, and Tema third and had 600,000 cedis and 500,000 cedis each respectively. Personnel of the Eastern Naval Command escorted the contestants in the regatta in a different boat.

In the tug of war competition, Nungua placed first on both the ladies and men race, followed by Kpone while Tema had the third position. They were presented with 600,000 cedis, 500,000 cedis and 400,000 cedis respectively.

The games which was heavily attended even though it was not sponsored by any company as in the past. It was witnessed by Nii Osonga Adjei Kraku, Tema Mantse, the traditional elders of Kpone and Nungua and Mr Samuel Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive. Addressing them, Mr Narh entreated the traditional authorities to bury differences among them and come together in order to speed up developments in their areas.

He asked the youth to show respect and support their elders and to tap their rich ideas to enhance progress. Mr Narh suggested the inclusion of traditional culture, drumming and dancing as well as competition in environmental cleanliness into the games to make it more entertaining.

One major event that had been missing during the homowo festival for the past two years, was seminars and workshops organised by the TMA for the chiefs traditional rulers to educate them on the chieftaincy institution.