President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, has described President Akufo-Addo as a man of deep cultural appreciation and therefore a worthy in-law of the Ga people.
After donating food items to the Tema Traditional Council on behalf of the President towards the Homowo festival of the chiefs and people of Tema, the MCE explained that the donation is a token of the sense of the culture of His Excellency. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“You know the President is a royal from Kyebi and so he understands the importance of cultural commemorations like Homowo. These donations are on his behalf and his beautiful wife Rebecca; a token of his appreciation of what all this means to us,” Hon. Anang-La said on the sideline of the donation at Tema Manhean.
The donation comprised bags of maize, water, oil, mineral beverages and corn along with an undisclosed amount of money.
Nii Anang-La said President Akufo-Addo’s donation towards any traditional festival of the Ga people comes with special sentiments attached to them, “because he is our son-in-law” – First Lady, Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo, is a proud ‘Ganyobi’ from Ningo and born in Osu.
Meanwhile, the donation from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) towards the Homowo festival is an annual tradition of support for the festival which commemorates the triumph of society over adversities.
Celebrated annually, the Homowo festival is heralded by the performance of traditional rites from Friday through to Saturday in thanksgiving to the gods for their protection and guidance throughout the year.
According to Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, the 2021 edition of the festival is especially poignant because of the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in spite of the deaths, he points out that Gas and Ghanaians in general still have cause to be grateful to God.
“For us in the Greater Accra Region especially, the COVID-19 deaths have hit us the hardest because of the fact that we host the national capital. However, in spite of this, we still can be grateful to God because comparatively, our situation in Ghana has been better than experiences elsewhere,” he urged the elders to pray to God for the sickness to vanish. He also advised the people to cooperate with the census officials.
The MCE used the opportunity to praise President Akufo-Addo for the leadership he showed in the country’s response to the pandemic which he said helped to curtail deaths.
“Let me also use the opportunity to appeal to my brothers and sisters to continue in vigilance during the festival because we are still not out of the woods yet, I worked in concert with the immediate past MP, Daniel Nii Titus-Glover to improve on the roads, we are almost done with a new Police Station for the people of Tema Manhean and are working on a sewage pipeline at Bankuman, President Akufo-Addo’s government has achieved a lot for the people of Tema.
The MMDCEs Dean of Greater Accra Region, Hon. Alexander Ni Noi Adumuah, who represented the hardworking Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, urged the Chiefs and people of Tema to support the TMA boss because he is one of the best MCEs in history of Tema.
The Tema Stool Secretary, Nii Amarh Somponu, who is also the Awudum Shippi of Tema said, “there are three Assemblies on Tema lands and only one of the MCEs is a native of Tema, we don’t want any Kojo Mensah as TMA boss, so I will on behalf of the Chiefs and people of Tema urge the President to please nominate an indigene to the TMA”.
The Tema Sakumor Wulormor, Nuumo Ashiboye Kofi II said “ Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, my son, has performed excellently well and that is why he is liked by many, look at the cheering, look at the standing ovation, look at the attendance and the high profile MCEs who accompanied him to do the presentation of food items towards our Homowo festival? If His Excellency the President retains him as MCE, we would be glad”.
In attendance include, Hon. Solomon Appiah, Kpone Katamanso Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Albert Okyere, Ashaiman MCE, Joshua Bortey, Krowor MCE, DCOP A. Fosu Ackaah, Deputy Tema Regional Police Commander, Evans Ashong Narh, former TMA boss, Naa Adjeley Twum, Ledzokuku MCE, Mrs. Felicia Dapaah of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC), Hon. Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, MCE for Ayawaso Central.