The Chiefs and Elders of the Ada Traditional Council crowned First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Mrs Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo as their Development Queen, with the stool title, “Naana Ode Ope Eoo I” when she joined them to celebrate this year’s annual Asafotufiami festival.
The honour was bestowed the First Lady in recognition of her many philanthropic projects undertaken through The Rebecca Foundation of which she is Founder and co-chairperson, especially in the areas of health and the economic empowerment of the feminine gender and children.
Celebrated in the first week of August, the festival is an annual warrior's festival by the Ga-Dangbe people to commemorate victories of their ancestral warriors in battle for settlement which were all won, as well as those who fell on the battlefields. The festival also ushers in the harvest cycle for which special customs and ceremonies are performed.
Speaking at a grand durbar to climax this year’s celebrations which was held under the theme, “Mobilizing Local Resources towards the Development and Growth of The Traditional Area”, Mrs. Akufo-Addo called for the utilisation of festivals as launch pads for development projects which will facilitate the combat of ignorance, poverty and disease.
She commended the chiefs and elders for the theme for this year’s festival which is the same as last year’s saying “it goes to tell that development initiation and sustenance should not be the sole preserve of government, but one that should be owned by the people of the traditional area, working together with political authorities to address their needs”.
<<Print>>