By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Aug. 19, GNA – The Gomoa Fetteh Traditional Council has inaugurated this year’s annual Ahorbaa Kese Akwambo festival with a plea to the inhabitants of the area to collectively endorse development for the growth of the Area.
The festival to be held on the theme: “One people, one goal,” will commence on Thursday, August 22, and end on Sunday, September 1.
Among others, it seeks to draw citizens far and near to converge back home for reunion and plan, draw and execute an agenda for the town’s development.
Tourists from diverse backgrounds also visit to witness the community’s rich cultural heritage.
During the festival launch, Nana Abor Atta II, the Chief of Gomoa Fetteh, revealed his intentions to raise funds for the expansion of the Community Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compound, the sole health centre in the vicinity to a polyclinic to meet the growing needs of the populace.
Despite its potential as an emerging tourist attraction, he said the community lacked a well-equipped healthcare facility to cater for both residents and visitors.
The facility is inadequately equipped to manage emergencies involving tourists, raising concerns about the well-being of visitors who may fall ill or sustain injuries while in the area.
“Our community has long grappled with the absence of a well-equipped clinic. As the leader, I engaged with my constituents on this matter and initiated plans to construct a six-unit bungalow for the area’s nurses who lacked suitable accommodation.
“We envision expanding the facility into an advanced polyclinic to address the substantial demand, and this stands as a key objective for this year’s festival,” Nana Abor Atta noted.
The Chief lamented that numerous pleas for support had gone unanswered, prompting the decision to finalise the facility and have it elevated to the status of a Polyclinic.
In addition to healthcare concerns, he expressed worry over the misrepresentation of the Ahorbaa Kese Akwambo festival, which has been erroneously labelled as the “Atopa” festival by certain youths in the town.
This mischaracterisation, he said, was being perpetrated with a lewd dance, distorting the genuine cultural significance of the festival wherein women historically honoured returning warriors with a traditional dance.
“We are convinced that this negative portrayal is detrimental to the area’s tourism potential.
“Our commitment lies in preserving and accurately showcasing the community’s distinct cultural heritage, and thus, we advocate for a shift in this narrative,” he emphasised and urged the youth to desist from the practice.
GNA