Fodome, Abutia people celebrate ' Yorveawoza' festival, page 36

Story: Tim Dzamboe, Fodome-Helu

In the spirit of integration under the ethos of globalization, the people of Fodome traditional area in the Hohoe district and Abutia traditional area in the Ho Municipality have celebrated their second “Yorveawoza” at Fodome-Helu in the Hohoe district.
The festival which was first celebrated in Abutia demonstrated the zeal of the people of re-uniting and to re-establish a permanent occasion for reinforcing unity, peace, cooperation, collective development and progress.
It was also aimed at giving credence to attributes which gave the ancestors long life at Glime in medieval Notsie and were referred to as “Yorveawo” which literally meant, “the people who dislike going to grave”.
Addressing a durbar to climax the occasion, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Nayan urged all traditional areas to rid themselves of conflicts and bring their people closer together to be able to access available opportunities for steady development.
He therefore said the transformation of the festival beyond cultural boundaries to a socio-economic development realm is commendable stressing that brotherliness, peace and tranquility were fundamental to every development process in life.
Mr Nayan said the government is desirous to promoting better living standards in all spheres of life adding that it will not discriminate in the extension of development to any part of the country.
He urged them to embrace government programmes on the National Health Insurance Scheme, Millennium Challenge Account and education in order to make life better living.
In an address, the Fiaga of Fodome traditional area, Togbega Gbedegbleme Honu III said the institutionalization of the festival would serve as a mobilizing forum for the human and material resources for development.
He said education was considered as a cornerstone for the development of the area and therefore the need for the government to upgrade the Community Senior High School to a government assisted one.
Togbega Gbedegbleme appealed to the government to expedite action to post police personnel to the Fodome police station that had been rehabilitated six years ago but without a police man to serve there.
He appealed to the government to tar the Hohoe-Fodome-Gbledi and the Ve-Golokwati to Wli roads to make the area accessible to the large number of tourists that visited the area daily.
In a message, the Fiaga of Abutia, Togbega Gidi V re-emphasized the need for the people to maintain the tempo of cordiality among the people in order to forge ahead in steady development.