Tight security characterised this year’s Fetu Afahyé, the annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Oguaa Traditional Area in the Central Region.
The occasion, graced by a high powered government delegation including Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, ministers of state, Members of Parliament from the region, also had metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives from the area in attendance.
The National Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Ms Samia Nkrumah, led a party delegation to the event.
There were representatives from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the celebration which was marked on the theme: “Nurturing the younger generation to take up the mantle of leadership.”
The festival was held in a peaceful atmosphere in spite of a near confusion that rocked Cape Coast following a high court ruling that asked the National House of Chiefs to strike out the name of the Omanhene of the Oguaa Traditional Council, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, from its records. The ruling was greeted with fierce resistance by some residents and sub-chiefs.
The High Court ruled that the process that led to the enstoolment of the paramount chief the second time was fraudulent but the traditional council mounted a strong appeal in the court against the decision.
Although many were sceptical about the successful celebration of the festival, the event went on without any hitches.
It was against this backdrop that the Vice-President Amissah-Arthur urged the chiefs and people of the area to uphold the prevailing peace to ensure accelerated development.
Mr Amissah-Arthur emphasised that the region in particular and Ghana at large required peace to nurture the youth to take up leadership positions in the country.
Underscoring the need to invest in the younger generation, the Vice-President implored parents in the region to invest in their children’s education and gave an assurance that the government would continue to provide a conducive atmosphere for the youth to realise their potential.
He further called on the youth to take advantage of the educational facilities in the region, which he said were among the best in the country.
Mr Amissah-Arthur had earlier inspected construction works on the Kotokuraba Market and the Cape Coast Stadium and expressed satisfaction with the progress of work.
He advised the Ghanaian artisans working on the two projects to tap the expertise of the foreign engineers working on the projects so that the country would also benefit from the experience they would acquire.
Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, in his welcome remarks, said the quota system which allowed a percentage of students within the local community to gain admission to secondary schools was not being applied in the region.
The paramount chief expressed concern about the manner in which parents allowed their daughters at very tender ages to loiter on the streets at ungodly hours and attributed the poor academic performance recorded by students in examinations to such behaviour.
