Tumu Traditional Council unveils 10th Paarigbeille Festival

By Mohammed Balu, GNA

Tumu, (U/WR), March 3, GNA - The Chairman of the Organising Committee of Paarigbeille Festival, Kong Kuoro, Kuoro Mahmoud Savei has launched this year’s Festival’s anniversary which aims at restoring cultural of heritage of the people.

The festival would also be used to campaign against poor sanitation.

He unveiled the Festival on behalf of the Paramount Chief of Tumu, Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton, on the theme: “Festival as tool for restoration of cultural heritage”.

The Chairman called on Sissalas around the globe to come home and support the initiative as the festival provided a vehicle for seeking redress from government on many challenges confronting people in the area.

He said Paarigbielle being celebrated for its tenth year meant that the other Sissala communities with their own festivals would work together to make the festival a grand one and have a `Sissala character `representing the interest of the ethnic group.

Mr. Mohammed Kanton, a member of the organising committee, told the GNA that the festival would start from 16th March with elaborate activities and the climax scheduled to take place on 23rd March 2019 with President Akufo-Addo expected to be in attendance.

“The activities lined up starts on 16th March with a health walk and women's football tournament as part of the initiatives to engage and actively involve females in the celebration.

“Subsequently, there would also be volleyball matches involving the clubs in town as well as street jam, which would be preceded by a Video show at the forecourt of the Chief’s Place.”

He said would also be a free health screening for school children, traditional dance competition among basic school children, while the cultural night would follow with songs, dance, dirges, appellation and all other traditional activities.

Another committee member, Mr Wutor Bawa, said new steps taken included; securing sponsorship package to boost financial flows to lessen the burden of appealing to the local people.

The Committee appealed to individuals and corporate bodies to support the festival as robust measures were taken to ensure accountability to the public.

‘Paarigbielle’ literally means farmers festival, where the Sissala people mark the end of the farming season and pray for bumper harvest in the succeeding years.

It was fraught with challenges at its initial stages of celebration, but has survived these hurdles and now in its 10th year of celebration.

It is mostly dominated by display of various food stuffs and characterised with traditional songs and dancing, firing of musketry and showcasing the famous Bayilla war dance.

GNA

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