Hundreds of local and foreign tourists on Saturday tasted the cultural and artistic elegance of the chiefs and people of Agotime Traditional Area at a grand durbar to climax this year’s Agbamevorza (Kente Festival) of the Area. Donned in various distinct Kente designs and prints, the people; old and young, including chiefs performed artistic and warrior dances all day to showcase their rich culture as hordes of people scrambled to capture the spectacle on their digital and mobile phone cameras. A procession of chiefs dancing in palanquins heralded the occasion drawing crowds to the durbar grounds where all business activities had shifted to. Two chiefs in separate palanquins danced into each other to exchange copies of the New Testament to symbolise and act out the theme of the festival: “Unity in Development” All the 37 communities forming the Traditional Area displayed distinctive cultural style and skill to portray the diversity of the area. The town was virtually bathing in music, dance, arts and culture with the people demonstrating high levels of tolerance and hospitality as locals and strangers mixed and interacted with glee. Mr Alex Asum Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, who represented the Vice-President, commended the people for initiating the festival and asked the youth to uphold the nation’s cultures to protect their diverse identities for posterity. He however warned communities especially those with tourist potentials against child trafficking and child labour. Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for the Area, who was clad in a sophisticated Kente design tailored to perfection said kente originated from Kpetoe. She urged communities all over the country to identify and develop tourist potentials in their areas to attract government support and investment from local and foreign interests. Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime Traditional Area, appealed for a facelift of Kpetoe to befit its status as a tourist destination and home of Kente. He also called on government to adopt the Kente Festival as a national event to bring communities in weaving and artefacts together through activities such as inter-cultural exchange programmes. Funds were raised to start the construction of a “Kente Market and Village” Source: GNA