After nearly 20-years, the Sométutuzã, a festival celebrated by the people of the Some Traditional Area has returned with a colorful durbar characterized with eye-catching cultural displays.
The annual week-long event is celebrated in remembrance of the ancestral journey of the Some people from Ketu in Nigeria, through Nortsie in present day Togo to their present location.
A larger group of present day Some people are located in Agbozume and other parts of the Ketu South Municipality which includes, Denu, Nogokpo, Xedzranawo, Sallakorpe, Agavedzi, Ativuta, Adafienu, Blekusu amongst others.
The festival (Somé-tutu-zã) is also dedicated to uniting and rallying the support of the Some natives towards local development.
Things however, came to a halt for almost two decades due to protracted chieftaincy disputes in the area among other pertinent matters.
Efforts made to revive the festival were further thwarted in 2020 due the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted everything including social life and events.
At a durbar held on Saturday, at the Some National school park in Agbozume, for the first time since 2004, Paramount Chief Area and President of the Some Traditional Council, Torgbui Adama III, said the 2023 celebration marks the “birth of a new dawn” for the Some people.
He called for unity and peace in the area and indicated that these are necessary for the development of the area.
Torgbui Adama, however noted that, the Traditional Area is currently confronted with several developmental challenges ranging from poor road network, lack of standard health facilities and poor performance of school children in the Basic Education Certificate Examination.
He also called on government to take steps to address the poor road network and drainage challenges which he blamed for the recent floods that engulfed the most parts of the Traditional Area.
This year’s festival which was on the theme: “Uniting All of Some for Her Total Development,” received a significant patronage from the natives home and abroad.
The durbar was graced by former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress for the 2024 elections, John Dramani Mahama among other prominent figures of the Ghanaian society.
Mr. Mahama in his address, commended the traditional authorities in the area for their relentless pursuit of unity and peace which informed this year’s theme for the celebration.
The NDC flagbearer, assured the Traditional Area of his commitment to bringing the needed development to the area when voted into office come 2024 as President of the Republic.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5fm/Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu
