A parade square is also to be constructed to serve as a durbar ground of the council to be used for public and social activities.

Launching this year’s Osu Homowo Festival in Accra last Wednesday, the Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, said: “We have fenced the landmark for the mausoleum. This is a move to preserve the artefacts of our predecessors. There will also be an artistic impression at the forecourt of the Osu Mantse Palace.” 

The launch

The 2017 edition of the festival, which also marks the 10th anniversary of the installation of Nii Dowuona will be observed with activities such as a health walk and health screening, clean-up exercises, durbar, beauty pageant, donations, games, cooking contest and sprinkling of ‘Kpokpoi’ on the Homowo festive day.

The festival, on the theme: “Our youth and education, the way forward,” will be held from August 18 to 22, 2017.

The launch saw traditional displays by the Ashante Blohu and other Asafo groups from the Osu Mantse’s Palace.

Appeal 

Nii Dowuona appealed to individuals, institutions and corporate bodies in the area to support the traditional council in its efforts to give the traditional area a facelift.

He said since education was paramount to the future of the country, it was important for people to ensure that their wards were not only enrolled in school, but learnt about their culture and traditional practices.

According to him, the stool had also collaborated with the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), the Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (OIC), the Social Welfare Training Centre and  the Young Women Christian Association (YWC) to train the youth in Osu in employable skills.

Nii Dowuona said the stool had also partnered  basic schools in the area to form a “School Management Committee Circuit 30” to help in the training of children in the community.

Obligations

For his part, a Family Head of the Ashittey We, Nii Ashittey Bruku, urged the people of Osu to observe the traditional norms and customs of the area during the celebration of this year’s festival.

He also entreated parents and guardians not to leave the care of their children and wards to teachers alone, but to contribute their quota in the upbringing of their children to enable them to become responsible adults in future.