By Isaac Newton Tetteh
Tema, Sept. 23, GNA – Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Semekor Kwaku Fiadzo has admonished Ghanaians to recognize and respect the chieftaincy institution, “our chiefs and queen mothers in both modern and pre-colonial times have been dominant in steering the affairs of the people.
“If we denigrate our chiefs and queen mothers in the public space through the power of the media, we are losing our very existence as a people either as an Anlos, Ghanaians, and Africans.
“We must respect every chief or queen mother across the land, it is unethical to insult another chief while projecting the image of one”.
DCFO Fiadzo stated this at the launch of the Anlo Hogbetsosto Za festival in Tema which was on the theme: “60 years of Anlo Hogbetsotso Za: Uniting for development, sustaining our unique cultural commonwealth for future generations”.
The Deputy Chief Fire Officer who is a native of Anlo State explained that “every traditional authority cherishes its customs, traditions, and norms and the custody of these traditions was embedded in the chiefs and queen mothers, any attack on any chief or queen mother is, therefore, an attack on the people from that jurisdiction”.
He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to continue to build Ghana on principles of respect for all.
DCFO Fiadzo added that Hogbetsotso was reminiscent of the migration of Anlos from Notsie, but in modern term, the celebration must also use a period to rekindle the values, norms, and traditions of the Anlo State in the current generation.
“Torgbiwo, Mamawo, on the occasion of the launch of the 60th edition of the annual Hogbetsotsoza, we must begin to explore the essence of festivals as the season offers us the opportunity to transform and blend the modern system of information, communication, and technology with the traditional systems,” he said.
He also noted that festivals were expressive ways to celebrate glorious heritage, culture, and traditions, and citizens to use the occasion to promote the heritage, culture, and traditions on the international platform.
“This year’s festival must not just be a joyous occasion at the local level, we must take advantage of the global platform through the traditional and social media to connect our rich Anlo dress, dances, drums, food, topography, and language among others to the world,” he said.
He implored all to market and promote the Hogbetsotso Za as a unique trademark to the world to attract people from across the globe to Ghana and Anlo State.
DCFO Fiadzo said Hogbetsotso also offered the opportunity to reflect on attitude towards nature, the global climatic change, COVID-19, the ongoing Russian-Ukraine War, the Economic situation, and how to develop, and build strategies as common people to withstand these challenges.
“Human beings should adore nature and acknowledge its beneficence before partaking in any of its gifts, we must protect the land and the environment we leave in.
“Indiscriminate bush burning, destruction of water bodies, wanton killing of animals, cutting of tress, and destruction of the echo system are crimes against nature and killing the lives of our future generations.
“We must stop the destruction of nature and protect the land God has entrusted into our hands in simple terms, universally all festivals are related to harmony, peace, and happiness, we cannot enjoy them when we continue to destroy the beauty of nature,” he said.
Chiefs, Queen mothers, and citizens of Anlo State graced the occasion.
GNA