North Dayi MP underscores Cultural Tourism – The Chronicle Online

The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dayi, Madam Joycelyn Tetteh, has underscored the need for Ghanaians to cherish and protect their rich cultural heritage, which w as the lifeline of the people, and any attempt to undermine these values would go a long way to affect their very existence.

Madam Tetteh noted that all indications pointed to the fact that the culture and traditional practices that had bound the people over the years were no longer being practiced, and instead the adoption of foreign culture seemed to have dominated many communities, which was not promoting development, particularly among the youth.

The North Dayi Lawmaker, who was speaking at the first-ever Borborbor Festival organised in her constituency at Anfoega-Dzana to mark the Christmas celebration, explained that it was becoming increasingly clear that drumming and dancing to the various traditional music was gradually fading away, including borborbor, therefore, she decided to organise the festival to create awareness about the need to sustain and promote them.

The North Dayi MP continued that her decision to initiate a borborbor cultural festival was not only meant to promote only cultural tourism in the constituency, but also use the occasion as a rallying point to foster unity among the people irrespective of religion, ethnicity, and political affiliation, which would rekindle the spirit of belonging as one people with a common goal and a common destiny.

According to the MP, the initiative would be carried out yearly, because she had put in place structures that would ensure that the festival would be celebrated even when she was no longer the Member of Parliament for the area, and disclosed that a Festival Planning Committee would be formed to be responsible for the successful celebration.

She pointed out that many of the youth of today did not know how to prepare local foods like “tsimenukoe, kokonte, and fufu,” among others, with various traditional soup, a development which was making it possible to also organise a cooking competition involving only local foods.

Madam Tetteh continued that the constituency had no mineral deposits, but they could turn the rich culture in the nine traditional areas into gold mines to attract tourists.

The Chief of Anfoega Dzana, Togbe Ahli Kotoku IV, who chaired the programme, said the issue of culture and tradition ought to be regarded as crucial in every human endeavour, since the survival of the people would largely depend on their way of life, and commended the MP for her determination to revive tradition and culture.

The 12 traditional troupes, which participated in the festival, were Peace and Love Borborbor Group from Anfoega-Woademaxe, Aveme-Dzame Mawuena Borborbor Group, Norvisi Borborbor Group from Anfoega-Dzana, Vakpo Sitsofe Borborbor Group, Dunenyo Borborbor Group from Tsyome Sabadu, Elikem Borborbor Group from Aveme-Beme, Dynamic Borborbor Group from  Wusuta, Venornornyo Borborbor Group from Wusuta, Next Level  Borborbor Group from Anfoega-Wuve, A.B.C. Borborbor Group from Vakpo, New Generation Borborbor Group from Anfoega-Woademaxe, and Unity Club Borborbor Group from Avate.

At the end of the festival, which was in the form of a contest, the MP commended all the borborbor groups for the various displays and gave each group cloths from the major sponsor, GTP, as well as cash she personally donated to support the groups.

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