2016 Homofest opens in Accra
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has officially opened the 2016 Homogenous Festival with an exhibition of culture and development projects by the 16 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region.
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The festival, dubbed Homofest, was initiated by the government to climax the celebration of the four main annual festivals of the Greater Accra Region annually.
The festivals are: Homowo, celebrated by the people of Accra; Kpledjoo, by the people of Tema; Ngmayem by the people of Dodowa and Asafotufiam by the Adas.
It is also to promote unity, social cohesion and peaceful co-existence among the traditional authorities in the region.
This year’s event, which is on the theme: “Our Festivals Rock”, aims to accelerate socio-economic and environmental development in the Greater Accra Region and the rest of the country through unity.
Other activities to mark this year’s celebration include a float through the principal streets of Accra, Miss Homofest beauty and culture pageant, a cooking competition and a beach party.
The festival will be climaxed with a durbar of chiefs and people of Ga-Adangbe descent on October 7, 2016 at the Black Star Square.
Opening ceremony
In an address read on her behalf to open the Homofest 2016 in Accra yesterday, the sector Minister, Mrs Elisabeth Ofosu Agyare, said since the inception of the festival in 2014, it had offered the traditional leaders an opportunity to demonstrate their rich culture and tradition to Ghanaians and the world.
She said the festival was also to recognise and appreciate the Ga-Adangbes who provide land and other national resources for national projects.
Mrs Agyare also said the reverence given to traditional leaders must be maintained in order to develop the traditions, customs and folklore of the country.
The minister gave an assurance that the ministry would promote Homofest as one of its flagship attractions to influence the travel decisions of visitors to Ghana.
The festival is being organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ministry for Culture and Traditional Affairs, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, among other partners.