People of Mepe invite investors to ‘Afenorto’

The chiefs and people of the Mepe Traditional Area in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, have called on the investor community and well-meaning Ghanaians to join them at this year’s annual Afenorto festival and apprise themselves with the investment potential of the area.

According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Mepe Development Association, Mr Shabanton Moses K. Dutsrogbe, investment opportunities ranged from aquaculture to irrigated farming and the production of raw materials to feed industries in Accra, Tema and neighbouring Togo, counting on the Volta River water resource along  which the traditional area lie.

The people of Mepe are known for their rich culture and their affinity to the traditional area. They, therefore, set aside about three weeks every mid-year to rally together, firm up unity and peace in order to forge a united front to prosecute their development goals.

“This year’s Afenorto festival is on the theme, ‘Our Culture, Our Heritage: The Tool for Peace Building’ is to forge a stronger unity in the Mepe Traditional Area to have a formidable force to achieve our agenda of development,” Mr Dutsrogbe said in an interview with the Daily Graphic.

He added that the focus was to make the place peaceful for all to live in as well as attract investors to tap the potential of the area which had arable land and create jobs and income for the people.

The PRO said at a grand durbar slated for August 1, 2015 the chiefs and people of the Traditional Area would use the occasion to appeal to the government for development projects such as the installation of streets lights to ensure security for citizens and visitors and the rehabilitation of town roads.

Besides the kinsmen and citizens of the area who are expected at the durbar, the occasion would also be graced by a number of prominent guests, including Ms Hanna Tetteh who has been enstooled a development queen, Mama Ngoryesi I; Roads and Highways Minister, Alhaji  Inusah Fuseini, the guest of honour.

Other dignitaries include the deputy Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Ms Dzifa Gomashie, the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Kwabena Agyapong, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa as well as past ministers and other sitting MPs.

That notwithstanding, there would be a dinner dance on the evening of the same day to raise funds in aid of girl-child education and the needy but brilliant children of the Traditional Area. This activity would run concurrently with a recreational street carnival for the youth.

All Christian denominations in the traditional area would converge on Sunday, August 2 for a ‘State Harvest’ to raise funds for development works, while a live band would feature for the evening’s relaxation at the town’s ‘iconic’ Royal Masito Palace, a hotel.

The famous “Mepe Afenorto Regatta” – boat racing among the five clans of Mepe Traditional Area across the width of the Volta River – would take the turn on Monday, August 3.

Indeed, Mr Dutsrogbe said, a couple of beach fun parties had been lined up from August 4, one of which would feature prominent guest artistes such as Kwaw Kesse and Jupiter.

The festival would go down on August 11 after a few days of final funeral rites to commemorate the departed souls of the traditional area.

Mr Dutsrogbe paid glowing tribute to Ghana Television, Blue Skies, the oil marketing company, Agapet, beverage producer, Promasidor, GIHOC Distilleries and others for their immense support for the festival.