THE Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II made a glorious and historical entry to Anloga on Saturday in a palanquin, as he joined the people of the Anlo State to round off their Hogbetsotso Za with a durbar.
The occupant of the Silver Stool of Asanteman, arrived at the Avete Park at about midday amid musketry, in a scene of captivating colours, rich culture and a sparkling display of royalty, which left the gathering in a frozen state of awe.
This comes more than one-and-a-half centuries after the then Asantehene, Otumfuo Kofi Karikari visited the area to sign a pact of alliance and mutual collaboration between the Anlos and the Asantes.
It also reciprocates the visit of His Royal Majesty, Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III, to the recent Akwasidae Festival in Asanteman.
The durbar which bore all the grandeur was also attended by former Presidents, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings and Mr John Dramani Mahama.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, Mr Albert Kan–Dapaah, Minister of National Security and the Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister as well as chiefs from sister communities in Togo and Benin were also at the celebration which was under the theme: Uniting Anlo through its values for the benefit of its citizens and the nation at large.
Daasebre Osei Bonsu who was accompanied by the Mamponghemaa, Nana Agyakoma Dufie II, was at the durbar as an envoy of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
He said that the old bond signed between Otumfuo Kofi Karikari and Torgbui Sri I, in 1865, committed the Anlos and the Asantes never to wage war against each other, but rather support each other in adversity and maintain a strong accord of mutual peace and solidarity at all times.
Subsequently, many critical pre-independence and post-independence political goals were achieved through the collaboration of the Anlos and the Asantes, Daasebre Osei Bonsu said.
He extended felicitations from the Asantehene to the Anlo State and said that the renewed and strong bond of fraternity between the Anlos and the Asantes was “an intervention of the deepest significance,” not only for their mutual benefits but also for an orderly development of Ghana.
In a speech read on his behalf, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo commended the chiefs and the people of the Anlos State for their great efforts in preserving and celebrating the historic Hogbetsotso Za.
He noted Hogbetsotso had a rich cultural and a nation building significance and, therefore, entreated other people from across the nation to join the Anlos in the celebration of the festival, to promote national cohesion.
He gave the assurance that government had not discarded plans to carry out pending development projects in Anlo, saying that what was due the area in term of development would definitely materialise soon.
Earlier, Torgbui Sri reminded government of its promises to tackle the roads network and also build a fishing port in Anlo, saying it was high time those promises were translated into action.
Torgbi Sri expressed grief over how vast harvests of tomatoes and other vegetables produced in the area perished due to the lack of ready markets and processing plants for the produce, saying a vegetable processing factory would help to sustain the industry and offer lucrative jobs to the teeming youth.
The Awoamefia commended government for the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme and urged parents to take advantage of it and send their children to school, especially the girl-child.
“We are no more in an era in which girls were deprived of their basic rights and access to education,” Torgbui insisted.
Meanwhile, Torgbui Sri threw further light on the bond between the Anlos and the Asantes and said that, “we collaborated on the war front, exchanged ideas in terms of court proceedings, participated in burials and coronations of each other, and above all, stood shoulder to shoulder in addressing the development needs of our people”.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, ANLOGA
