ABOAKYIR FESTIVAL

The people of the Effutu Traditional Area have not had an enjoyable Aboakyer festival in recent years.

The festival is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of May. It is a celebration by the Effutus in appreciation of the customary guidance they received from their forefathers and a thanksgiving to Penkye Otu, their deity.

This year the people of Winneba, known as the Efutus, in the Ewutu/Efutu/Senya District, experienced a new phase of the festival.  A 16-year conflict between the two Tuafo groups (Asafo companies) was resolved and the celebration of the Aboakyer was delinked from chieftaincy. This enabled the two Asafo Youth groups (Dentsifo and Tuafo) to compete in the antelope hunt without conflict.

The stool father and head of the Royal House of the Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi  Bondze II, reiterated that for the past 13 years the Aboakyir festival had been a security risk and therefore this year’s success story of the festival was unprecedented.

He expressed excitement that the theme for year’s event anchored on “Reconciliation for peace and Development” translated into the calm and peace the event experienced.

He said that this year’s celebration was something out of the norm, for the people to prevail over the chiefs to step aside for the celebration to go on was plus for the state” adding that though the protracted chieftaincy disputes in the area had been settled there were still several under currents that require solution “Aboakyir is the passion of the people of Efutu so if we find that just a section is participating in Aboakyer are celebrating then there is something wrong” he emphasized.  He expressed gratitude to the Winneba Peace Initiative (WPI), the MP for the area, Hon Mike Hamah, and other social groups for making the festivities a success and described it as a peaceful beginning that has to be continued.

The Tufohene of the area, Nana Otuboa siripi II who is also the supreme commander of the two Asafo companies said besides the festival reminding them of their spiritual responsibilities and duties it is also time for family reunions for citizens who had left the town for years to come home to fraternalism.

He said the occasion has strengthened the reconciliation process in the area and was happy that the Asafo companies, prior to the celebration, had settled their differences and worked together to achieve a common goal of fostering tourism and development.

A random chat with the people of Winneba reflected a very jubilant mood as they recounted with excitement the sequence of events and wished for a mood as peaceful celebration in subsequent years without police presence.

Others recounted with joy how commercial activities flourished during the festival with an increase in their daily sales.  They recalled that the influx of visitors and tourists during the occasion enhanced the social and economic activities of the area.

Some were also excited at how the two Asafo companies exhibited great prowess and bravery by hunting for the antelope used for the rituals to commemorate the festival.

It is the expectation of the people of Winneba that next year the festival will experience much involvement and participation from both the elders and the youth of the area and pave way for a more peaceful celebration in the coming years.