MyAfricaInfos 
Developing Africa will not be a reality without the sons and daughters of the continent. Cultural entrepreneur, Dick Latekoe has initiated SiTU FoirExpo to breathe new life in the prefecture of Lacs in southern Togo. In the following interview, he provides us with more details on the objectives of this event.
Good morning sir! Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Good morning Madame ! I am DICK Latékoé, Coordinator of SiTU, the exhibition fair about the heritage of the prefecture of Lacs in Togo. I am a cultural entrepreneur.
Dick Latekoé, what does SiTU mean and why this event?
SiTU means blessing in the language known as Guingbé ; a local tongue spoken in the prefecture of Lacs. We set up this project to develop our heritage and contribute to the growth of our prefecture whose administrative center, Aneho has been capital city of Togo two time.
Developing the city of Aného is the main objective of this event. Why have you chosen this city?
Aného and the prefecture of Lacs generally speaking have many assets worth promoting. Ocean, lakes and rivers alone are enough to make of this area a real source of economy. To that, we can add the culture, and a more than 3 centuries history.
The event SiTU FoirExpo is then planned from August 26 to September 8, 2019. What is the program of the upcoming 15 days of exhibition?
We have devised a quite rich program that covers those two vivid weeks in the city of Aneho. There will be 5 conferences in all chaired by well known personalities namely the international song artist, the Togolese King Mensah. The guests will also be entertained with tourist tours (on foot, lake and ground), orchestrations and trade exhibitions and a very attractive cultural agenda.
In your media campaign on the event, you called upon traditional chiefs of the area of Lacs. Explain the importance of this approach to us.
One cannot talk about heritage without mentioning the crowned heads that guarantee the ways and customs. For the prefecture of Lacs, it is 356 editions of Epé Ekpé this year, thus 41 divinatory entities, heritage of many Guin and Mina families with their cousins Pla, Péda and Ouatchi. It thus proved important for us to associate traditional chiefs so they feel concerned and also, for the organization to be a success.
The descendants of the city of Aneho are not part of the less well-off in Togo. How do you explain the fact that this historic city is abandoned ?
We would just like to ask our brothers and sisters to tighten the link and above all to help us breathe new life in our city which, to my mind, is the most historic of all the cities of Togo with its 356 years of celebrating its traditions and its 3 sites included on the UNESCO indicative list.
What are your expectations upon completion of the 2019 SiTU ?
We want to use this event to excite an economic awakening, help in rehabbing our colonial era old buildings and propose Aneho as a tourist destination in order to turn it into a cultural and tourist hub.
You surely have a message to diaspora friends. Here is the opportunity to express it !
We invite them to adopt this slogan « Ahoé (homeland) first » and we are available and open to any idea of collaboration and partnership.
A message to the African youth in general?
Africa is now! And it is our duty to do it.
Your last word?
SiTU for all for Aneho and the prefecture of Lacs to thrive.
Translated from : http://bit.ly/SituFoireExpoDesLacsTogo
