By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Anlo Afiadenyigba
Head of the Agide Shrine at Anlo Afiadenyigba in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, Hunor Amidu Agide, has renewed his appeal to government to institute a public holiday for traditionalists on the country’s national calendar.
According to him, a national public holiday for practitioners and members of the traditional religion is long overdue.
Hunor Amidu Agide, made the call at the annual ritual and festival of the Freemani Korku Idol at Anlo Afiadenyigba.
The acquisition of the Freemani Korku Idol and its practice or manifestation is one of the oldest cultures and traditions a section of the larger Ewe group still practices till date.
It is believed that those who acquire, worship and observe rituals and the practices of such an idol are not only famous and protected by the god but also live long and receive spiritual healing and blessings from the god.
This year’s festival brought together traditional worshippers not only from Anlo Afiadenyigba but also other sister communities such as Keta, Agbozume, Aflao, Anloga and Klikor. Also present were some members as well as District and Regional Executives of the Ghana Traditional Psychic and Healers’ Association.
One of the Special Guests of Honour at the event was the Chief Priest of the Klikor State and Dufia of Glidzi, Torgbui Akpalu Agbali II.
Speaking at the event, Head of the Agide Shrine, Hunor Amidu Agide, repeated his call on the government to consider granting one national public holiday for all traditionalists in the country. According to him, there is no continuous justification for the observance of public holidays for Christians and Muslims when traditional religion also holds a key space in the Ghanaian scheme of things.
Touching on the 2024 general elections, Hunor Amidu Agide, called on Ghanaians and all politicians to exercise restraint in order to go through the process peacefully and orderly. According to him and for them as traditionalists, no matter what anybody does, whoever is destined to win the elections would emerge and subsequently take over the reins of government in 2025.
Hunor Agide expressed grave concern about the negative attitudes of the youth, noting that frequent deaths among young people in the country are a matter of concern for them as leaders. He therefore urged the youth not only to lead lives worthy of emulation but also observe the rules of nature in order to live long.
Chief Priest Agide also used the occasion to reject suggestions and criticisms that practitioners of the Freemani Korku Idol are engaged in all manner of bad deeds including killing of human beings. He asked whether all the miscreants on trial at the country’s courts are owners and observers of the practices of the Freemani Korku Idol. According to him, the Idol does not support such barbaric acts but instead help to prolong one’s life to its fullest.
The Dufia of Glidzi and Chief Priest of the Klikor Traditional Area, Torgbui Akpalu Agbali II, who was the Special Guest of Honour, also used the occasion to urge all Ghanaians and particularly politicians to eschew bad language and personal attacks on their political opponents during their election campaigns. According to him, such paths are not healthy and only constitute a recipe for disaster, adding that they should concentrate on issues and policies that would affect and transform the lives of the people particularly the youth who are seeking for job opportunities to earn a decent living.
He also urged the youth to completely abstain from any form of violence before, during and after the elections, cautioning them not to allow any politicians to use them to create violence anywhere in the name of elections and for their own parochial or selfish interests.
