The First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday paid a courtesy call on Ga chiefs within the Greater Accra Region to show them solidarity as they prepare for their upcoming Homowo festival.

She also distributed assorted food items to the chiefs and people to enable them to mark the annual festival in a grand style.

Among the various palaces, she visited within the Ga Mashie, were the Ga Mantse Stool House, Sempe Mantse Palace, Akumanjen Mantse, Palace, Otublohum Mantse Palace, and Asere Mantse Stool House.

The rest were Nii Tetteh Ankamah We, Nae We, Korle We, Sakumo We, Asafoatse Mankata, and the Chorkor Mantse. Also, among the items donated were bags of maize, bags of palm nuts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, packs of bottled water, and undisclosed sums of money.

Mrs Akufo-Addo, was accompanied on the visit by Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament (MP) for Anyaa –Sowutuom, Ms Elizabeth Sackey, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Irene Naa Torshie, Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund and former MP for Tema West, and Nii Adjei Sowah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

Others were the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Odododoidoo, Nii Lante Bannerman, and Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Development Authority, Mr Jerry Shaibu Ahmed.

At a gathering to mark the beginning of the celebration, the First Lady reiterated the importance of traditional festivals such as the Homowo, which she said, offered the platform to deepen ancestral knowledge and strengthen kinship bonds.

She commended the people of Ga Mashie for keeping the peace of the area, and a united front for the important Festival, saying, “a united traditional front is what elicits economic investments, which expedites development in any community”.

She urged the people to take advantage of the many social intervention policies being implemented by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, including the Free Senior High School policy, to break the vicious cycle of semi-literacy and poverty in their communities.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo, pledged her Rebecca Foundation’s continuous determination and support to complement the government’s efforts to enhance the lives of the citizens.

She said she would, therefore, continue with the Foundation’s initiatives currently being implemented in various communities including the “Terema” project (supporting women to improve their economic status), “Because I want to Be” project (keeping girls in school), and the “Learning to Read (improving child literacy), as well as the construction of health facilities and supply of hospital equipment to needy institutions, all targeted to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people.

She wished all the Ga people the very best of the celebrations and urged them to do well to mark it amidst the observance of the Covid-19 hygienic protocols and to limit the sprinkling of ‘Kpekple’ ritual to their homes.

She also appealed to the people to participate in the December elections by voting for the NPP to continue with its many developmental programmes and social intervention policies for all Ghanaians.

The various Ga chiefs, elders and clan leaders, including King Dr. Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse, expressed their appreciation to the first lady, who is also a Ga, for coming in to support her people to celebrate the 2020 Homowo festival grandly.

King Dr. Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, expressed the determination of the Chiefs to ensure that the people conform to the hygienic protocols.

He appealed to the first lady to support the “Ga Girl Child Education” an initiative being promoted by the Ga Traditional Council, aimed at specifically tackling and promoting the development of the girls in the Ga communities.

The Homowo Festival is celebrated by the Ga people to remind themselves of their long battle against famine years ago and how the rains finally came to ease their burden.