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‘Twerking’ not part of borborbor …Paramount Chief stops indecent dancers
Borborbor, the traditional dance of Ewes in the middle belt of the Volta Region, is a prominent feature at public gatherings. It has been in existence for years and often comes with delightful choreography that attracts many people.
Some dance groups design costumes and rehearse performances ahead of major events. However, a few youth groups in an attempt to ‘spice up their show’ have introduced sexually suggestive dance moves also known as ‘twerking’ which natives consider unacceptable.
Indeed, the Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area, Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV, would tolerate none of such ‘profane borbobor’ when he sat at a durbar of chiefs during the Easter celebrations at Anfoega Akukome on Saturday April 16, 2022.
Activities lined up for the day took off smoothly until a borborbor group from one of the towns was called upon to entertain the gathering.
The group brought on their best performance, moving to rhythm and good tunes before the Master of Ceremony (MC) signalled them to call it off, apparently due to their seductive dance move and somewhat indecent outfit.
They defied the orders and continued the performance which prompted Togbe himself to step in and show them the exit.
“There is something called protocol but I will break it,” Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV said when he grabbed the microphone from the MC.
“We don’t accept this type of dance here. Don’t come and perform this kind of dance in our midst ever again,” he fumed in the local dialect while the gathering responded with thunderous applause.
Other indigenes at the function also endorsed the ‘ruling’ of the Paramount Chief, and expressed reservations on how some young people have sought to change the face of ‘borborbor’ with ‘inappropriate’ dancing styles.
This isolated incident did not take away the splendour of the main event which was to raise funds for development and encourage citizens to reconnect back home.
Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV, in his address, highlighted various projects, including the re-construction of the Community Centre, the Catholic Hospital, and other self-help initiatives in the area.
He urged traditional leaders to lead by example and show commitment to the task they have been assigned, and further asked the citizens and political authority in the jurisdiction to support developmental efforts of the people.
Present at the celebration were Ms. Joyceline Tetteh, Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, Member of Parliament for Ho West, Mr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, Mr Edmund Attah Kudjoh, District Chief Executive for North Dayi, among others.
The dignitaries praised the unity among the indigenes and advised them to continue to give the traditional leaders the necessary support for the progress of the region.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has disbursed GHS134,000 to 22 students under the latest round of his Scholarship and Bursaries Programme.
According to a statement from his office, the 22 beneficiaries are enrolled in 16 tertiary institutions across the country.
They are studying various courses, including medicine, marketing, law, public health, midwifery, business administration, education, and secretaryship.
The MP’s office commended the beneficiaries, especially the five students currently studying medicine and physician assistantship, encouraging them to remain committed to their studies.
The statement indicated that the scholarship initiative, which began in 2017, aims to support brilliant but needy students from the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency to further their education. So far, about 700 students have benefited from the program.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Four tricycle operators, popularly known as ‘Pragya’, have been prosecuted and fined GH¢600 each equivalent to 50 penalty units by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for obstructing public roads at the Agbogbloshie Market.
The offenders, who were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA during a routine enforcement exercise, pleaded guilty to the offence and were subsequently convicted by the court.
The four operators were among the 21 offenders recently arrested at the Agbogbloshie Market for various sanitation and public order violations, including selling on open drains, obstructing walkways, and trading at unauthorised locations.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Health at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi, said the court was lenient with the offenders since it was their first appearance, hence the fine, and warned that subsequent offenders would face stiffer penalties, including imprisonment.
