By Benard Worlali Awumee, GNA
Anloga (V/R), April 28, GNA – The Anlo Youth Council (AYC) has presented a comprehensive report on the organisation of the 2025 Hogbetsotso Festival, also known as Hogbeza, highlighting achievements in unity promotion, cultural preservation, and development initiatives.
Dr Edmund Ocloo, a lead member of the Council, presented the report at the Congress of Chiefs of Anlo Dukor under the theme: “Building Bridges: From a Common History to a Common Destiny.”
He said the Council pursued a dual objective of strengthening unity among the Anlo people while positioning the festival as a catalyst for sustainable development.
On unity, Dr Ocloo noted that festival activities were deliberately decentralised to various communities to ensure inclusiveness and wider participation.
These included the official launch at Ohawu in the Ketu North Municipality and a mini durbar at Adidome in the Central Tongu District.
He said key traditional rites such as Nugbidodo and Glimetoto were duly observed, with increased participation recorded at all levels, which helped to reinforce cultural identity and social cohesion among the Anlo people.
Touching on development outcomes, Dr Ocloo said the Council successfully engaged Corporate Ghana, the Anlo diaspora, and local and national business communities to support the festival.
He said the partnerships boosted economic activity and expanded opportunities for local participation, adding that the Council envisaged aligning future Hogbetsotso celebrations with specific development projects across Anlo Dukor.
The report outlined several strategic gains, including the introduction of transformational leadership training programmes for chiefs, the commencement of the Hogbe Park Astro Turf development project, and the initiation of processes toward upgrading the Ohawu Agricultural College into a fully-fledged university.
Dr Ocloo said converting Hogbe Park into an astro turf facility would significantly reduce the cost of hosting future festival activities.
Despite the successes, the Council identified areas requiring improvement, including the need for earlier planning, deepening unity beyond the festival period, strengthening cultural documentation, expanding youth involvement, improving governance structures, and enhancing public communication.
Receiving the report on behalf of the Anlo Dukor Council, Awadada Togbi Agbesi Awusu II, assured the Council that its recommendations would be carefully considered as part of efforts to build a stronger and more progressive Anlo community.
He commended the Anlo Youth Council and all stakeholders for their contributions to the successful organisation of the 2025 Hogbetsotso Festival and urged the larger Anlo community to take collective ownership of ongoing projects and maintain them for the benefit of future generations.
Both leaders hinted at ongoing plans towards the 2026 edition of the festival, with major announcements expected in due course.
GNA
Edited by Maxwel Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah