Some supporters of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) clashed with discordant tunes of condemnation and praises respectively, of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at this year’s Hogbetsotso festival.
Dr. Bawumia led government delegation to the stronghold of the opposition party to mark the 60th anniversary of the Hogbetsotso festival of the Anlo State in Volta Region at the invitation of Awoamefia Togbi Sri III.
Members of the NPP chanted traditional and party songs to give Dr. Bawumia a rousing welcome to the festival grounds.
The party faithful mobbed the Vice President as he made his way to join other dignitaries at the event with chants of “Bawumia our next leader, Bawumia our next president”.
However, a section of the crowd believed to be NDC members were also shouted vociferously at the festival as Dr. Bawumia delivered his speech, chanting “away, away, away”.
Nonetheless, the Vice President was able to address the gathering with admirable confidence as he listed the achievements of the Akufo-Addo government in the last six years.
More jobs created under Akufo-Addo than any Govt in 4th Republic – Bawumia
Vice President stated that the Akufo-Addo administration has created more jobs in the last six years than any other government in the Fourth Republic.
According to him, it is not only job creation but also, the government has built more schools, interchanges, airports than any other government in the Fourth Republic.
“We all know we are facing a global economic crisis which Togbe Sri III referred to.
“This is a crisis that is being felt all over the world and the cost of living accelerated across the globe.
“If you look at the cost of living as measured by the rate of inflation, between 2019 and now, the rate of inflation has increased by five-fold in Ghana, it has increased by sixteen-fold in Togo, it has increased by eleven-fold in Senegal, it has increased by seven-fold in Cote D’Ivoire and eight-fold in the United Kingdom.
“The increase in the cost of living has caused hardships not only in Ghana but many countries.
“In fact, the BBC noted about two weeks ago that so far, this year, in 93 countries we have had public protests against the increased cost of living. It is important to know, however, that amidst all of this turmoil, we should put things in perspectives.”
“The government of Nana Akufo-Addo has over the last six years taken many steps to reposition and transform the economy.
“So whiles we have hardships today, which we are working very hard to alleviate, and ‘In Shaa Allah’ (God willing), we will deal with it, let us not forget what we have been able to do in the last six years.
“Let me recall that our government in the last six years has created more jobs than any other government in the Fourth Republic, let me recall that we have constructed more roads than any other government in the Fourth Republic. Let me recall that we have built more interchanges than any other government in the Fourth Republic, we have built more airports than any other government in the Fourth Republic, more railways than any other government, we have built more classrooms than any other government in the Fourth Republic”, he reiterated.
Hogbetsotso festival
This year’s celebration of the Hogbetsotso festival was on the theme: “60 years of Anlo Hogbetsotso Za: Uniting for Development, Sustaining Our Unique Cultural Commonwealth for Future Generations.”
Vice President Bawumia used the occasion to call for togetherness since that brings about development.
Also present at the festival was the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Ga king Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
The Hogbetsotso festival remembers the Anlos of their escape from the rule of Togbe Agorkoli from Notsie about 400 years ago.
The festival’s name is derived from the Ewe language and translates as “the festival of exodus” or “coming from Hogbe (Notsie)”.
Other chiefs and personalities, musicians from the Volta Region, and the diaspora also graced the historic ceremony.
