1.
LV Festival area
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SV Arrival of Acheapong greeted by Chiefs
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MV PAN Women dancers
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GV & MV Chief and group arriving (2 shots)
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MV Dancers
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MV Acheampong shaking hands with chief
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SV Dancers
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GV Acheampong and delegatio looking on
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MV Women preparing rice meal
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SCU Acheampong looking on
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MV & CU Women preparing rice (2 shots)
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MV PAN Dancers with sticks
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SV & MV Women prepare rice as chiefs look on (2 shots)
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SV Asafo dance band and dancers (2 shots)
1.18

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MV Crowd look at dancers in tree camouflage (2 shots)
1.30



Initials AE/21.05 AE/21.23



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Ghana's military leader Colonel Ignatius Acheampong attended the traditional rice festival of the chiefs and people of Avatime in the estern Volta region of Ghana on Saturday (9 March).

The festival marks the trials and toils of the Avatime people's ancestors who made the mountainous region their home. In a speech, Colonel Acheampong warned the crowd against the 'subversionists' in their midst who called themselves the National Liberation Movement of Western Togoland. These people he said were trying to create strained relations between Ghana and her neighbours by criminal means.

Efforts were being made, he said, to set up a body to settle border disputes with Togo. But he said Ghana would never cede any of its territory.

In his welcoming speech Chief Togbe Adja Tekpor VI said the festival was formerly celebrated in November or December when the Chief Fetish Priest made the first rice harvest. There was still a festival then but Ghana's Traditional Council thought it better to hold the main celebration after the harvest.

The festival was all the merrier this year because there was a good harvest of rice, an essential food.