The people of the Likpe traditional area in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region have launched the Lekoryi (Unity festival) with much pomp at Likpe Mate.The festival, to be celebrated on Easter Saturday next year, is on the theme: “Fostering Collaboration in Formal Education for Sustainable Development.” It is aimed at raising awareness of the falling standards of education, particularly against the backdrop of the recent poor results in the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in the area. Launching it, the Paramount Chief (Otekple) of the Likpe traditional area, Nana Soglo Alloh III, declared that the festival was intended to raise the quality of life of the people through economic empowerment.He expressed appreciation for the past contribution by the chiefs and people in the various towns in the traditional area towards the success of the festival.In an address, the Chairman of the central planning committee, Professor A.Q.Q Aboagye, who is the Head of the Department of Finance of the University Of Ghana Business School, said education was the bedrock of every human development and that it had premium over gold, oil, timber and other natural resources.He, therefore, said the collaboration expected transcended the various professional bodies in the area.Prof. Aboagye stressed that all should join hands to reverse the falling standards of education in the area. He added that schoolchildren in the area should be well exposed to tuition on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to make them competitive in the future.For his part, the Chairman of the local planning committee, Mr Leo Videka, recalled that the celebration of the festival two years ago was peaceful and he expected same for the following year.