Drama unfolded at this year's Oguaa Fetu Afahye when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gurus who attended the festival on Saturday were prevented from greeting the chiefs on the dais. None of them was also introduced although Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP flagbearer, was officially invited by the paramount chief of the area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II. The NPP gurus who were prevented by the President's Special Aide, Nii Lantey Vandapuye, had no option but to take their seats to avoid confusion during the Fetu Afahye festival, celebrated by the chiefs and people of Cape Coast. They included Nana Akufo-Addo; Kwamena Bartels, Boakye Agyarko; Isaac Edumadze, former Central Regional Minister; Madam Christine Churcher; Fred Oware, first national vice chairman of NPP; and the Central regional chairman of the party, Danquah Smith. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE on the issue, the Central regional secretary of the NPP, Kwamena Duncan said Nana Addo and his entourage on Friday paid a courtesy call on the Oguaamanhen to confirm they would attend the festival. Mr Duncan expressed concern about the way Osabarima refused to recognize their presence after Mr Vandapuye had prevented them from going to greet Nananom as custom demanded. He said President Mills also worsened the case when he snubbed Nana Addo and his entourage and went ahead to greet the people around them. A TV3 cameraman, who attempted to take shots of the scene, was prevented from doing so by the security officers. The situation, DAILY GUIDE observed, gave room for some people to make all kinds of unsavoury remarks about the Afahye Planning Committee members as well as the chiefs, with others openly raining insults on them. Most people claimed the planning committee failed to introduce the NPP flagbearer. Nana Akufo Addo and his entourage, in order to make them unpopular in the Central region, even though it was evident that the Mills administration had fallen out of favour with the people of the region. DAILY GUIDE gathered that Nana Addo's name was not even in the programme line-up, "hence the decision by the Information Service personnel not to introduce him to the gathering. DAILY GUIDE can authoritatively state that about two years ago, when President John Evans Atta Mills was the flagbearer of his party, he was openly introduced, and even ushered in to greet Nananom and the then President John Agyekum Kufuor on the dais. Most people who were at the durbar grounds questioned whether the Oguaa Fetu Afahye was now-being politicized. Speaking at the festival, President Mills called for unity among the people to ensure total development in the area. He promised not to turn his back on the people of Cape Coast and that he would ensure that all promises made to them during his campaign were fulfilled by the end of his tenure. President Mills disclosed that measures had been put in place to upgrade the Central Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital in order to help medical students at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) who normally moved out of the region for their housemanship. The Central Regional Minister, Ama Benyiwa-Doe mentioned some of the projects undertaken by her government as the reconstruction of the Fosu Lagoon and Ankaful Bridges, renovation of Cape Coast town hall, as well as construction of about 63 classroom units in the region. "Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe hinted that plans were underway to employ more city guards to ensure that tourists who visit the region were safe. She stated emphatically that her government was prepared to build the Cape Coast Stadium, although the previous administration had deceived the people in the region about the project. The Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta, called for the renewal of the 30% allocation of school placement given to the people of the region. "According to him, the abolishing of the 30% allocation of school placement had contributed to the falling standards of education in the region. Osabarima appealed to government to review the computerised selection system since it was making more parents frustrated. He also appealed to the President to dredge the Fosu Lagoon and complete the renovation of the palace, which began just before the visit of US President Barak H. Obama to the metropolis last year. DAILY GUIDE observed that this year's festival attracted thousands of people drawn from all walks of life to the metropolis. The 42nd historic festival was described as the best since the 1990s. Earlier, the chiefs were carried in their palanquins amidst drumming and dancing through some principal streets, following which the people gathered at the Jubilee Park for the celebration to take-off. DAILY GLIDE observed that most hotels were filled to capacity, as people had to travel as far as Elmina, Anomabo, Abura Dunkwa and its environs to rent hotels. Source: Daily Guide