Chiefs and people of Krachi showcase rich culture

(left)A chief from Worawora responding to Kete music at the durbar,(right) The krachiwura at the durbar during his Annicersary celebration

'The cultural heritage of every nation is the lifeline to the development of nations, and any country, or community that plays down on its traditional norms and practices, does so at the expense of its development. This, however, should not be allowed to happen in the 21st Century, when cultural practices form the pivot of progress of most nations.

'It is time our country Ghana, places premium on the cultural practices of the various traditional areas in the planning of development activities, because the isolation of the rich traditional values of the nation in the development planning process, would largely affect the growth of the nation.'

These were the words of the Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, at a durbar to climax a weeklong celebration of the tenth anniversary celebration of his installment, at the traditional home of the area, Kete-Krachi, in the Krachi-West District of the Volta Region, which was characterised by a number of social activities.

Nana Mprah Besemuna III said his ten years of rule in the traditional area had seen much development in promoting peace and unity among the people and the settler communities who were more united than ever, which he pointed out, could not have happened without the support of the chiefs and people.

He stressed that the objective of the Krachi Traditional Council, of which he is the President, aims at making the area a place of excellence that would attract people from far and near to learn from the people, as well as invest in the numerous economic potentials in the area for the benefit of the people, and the nation at large.

Nana Besemuna said key on the agenda of development activities in the area was to promote the cultural heritage of the people, alongside development activities, which he noted, was necessary in opening up the area, because it was only when the people were made to appreciate their culture, which formed the central part of development, that it would facilitate the development process.

The tenth anniversary, which was used to showcase the rich cultural values of the people, saw the total elimination of foreign music at the durbar, such as that of the brass band, as traditional dances of various kinds took center stage, to the admiration of the various dignitaries from all walks of life.

The Krachiwura, whose appearance at the durbar became a major attraction, as he was ushered into the grounds with traditional drumming called 'Kete', and his calculated steps as he greeted the invited guests and chiefs demonstrated the value of chiefs in society, and the respect they command.

Some of the traditional dances of the people of Krachi are 'Baya, Sakode and Kete', among others, which exposed the hidden values of culture in the area, a development which some of the visiting chiefs could not resist, as a Divisional Chief of Worawora, accordingly, responded to Kete music with royal steps and movements that drew the attention of the crowd, after paying homage to the Krachiwura.

Nana Mprah Besemunah used the occasion to advise the youth to develop an interest in the traditional activities of the area, because it was only then that they could achieve their aims in life, noting that they could not achieve success in life if they failed to appreciated the cultural practices of the people.

The President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, who chaired the function, commended the Krachiwura for his valuable contributions at meetings of the House, and said that such valuable contributions had reflected in the development activities of the Krachi Traditional Council.

'When I first met the young and smart Commissioner of Police for the first time in Accra, in fact, I was convinced to believe that the Krachiwura would become our next Inspector General of Police (IGP), but before we could realise, he was taken away and made the Krachiwura.'

These were the sober reflections of the Chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Kofi Awonoor, who represented the President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, as he admired the achievements of the Krachiwura in promoting peace, unity and development in the area, noting that even though Nana Mprah Besemuna was not made the IGP, the nation was still proud of the services he was rendering to the nation as a respectable traditional ruler.