Homofest 2016 launched in Accra
The minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has urged traditional authorities to rebrand their festivals to reflect the development needs of the country.
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She said culture ought to serve as a fertile platform to enhance national cohesion and to draw investors from both the local and foreign arena to boost the local economy.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare made the call at the launch of the 2016 Homogeneous Festival (Homofest), a cultural celebration by the Ga Adangbe ethnic group in Accra yesterday.
The launch was under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD).
Present at the launch were traditional rulers from the Regional House of Chiefs, stakeholder agencies of the Chieftaincy Ministry and a section of the public.
Rebranding culture
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said as part of its mandate to promote national development through the promotion of culture, the tourism ministry was committed to collaborating with traditional authorities to rebrand their festivals in line with the current global needs.
“Rebranding of our culture and festivals is important because it will not only boost investment, but will also create business opportunities that will make the local industries thrive,” she said.
She further called on the public to learn the culture of other ethnic groups, saying that was the best way to promote peace among the ethnic groups and the nation as a whole.
Some of the guest at the Homofest launch
History
The President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Nene Abram Kabu Akuoku III, recounted the history of the Ga-Adangbe ethnic group (tracing their roots to Israel) and urged the public to be guided by the past in order to redefine the present.
He said the pomp and ceremony associated Homofest (since its inception in 2014) indicated that when the culture of the various ethnic groups was repackaged, the image of the nation would be boosted on the international scene.
Nene Akuoku III called on the various traditional authorities to continue to work with the National House of Chiefs to promote a cultural setting that would rest on national interest.
Background:
The maiden edition of Homofest was celebrated in 2014. It brought together traditional authorities of Ga-Adangbe descent from the 16 metropolitan municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region.
Activities for this year’s event include a float through the principal streets of Accra, Miss Homofest contest, a cooking competition and beach interactions.
The festival will be climaxed with a durbar of chiefs and people of Ga-Adangbe descent on October 8 this year at the Blackstar Square.
