There were spontaneous scenes of joy and wild jubilations when the Tuafo Number One Asafo Company made the first appearance to present the first catch of a Deer to the durbar grounds as the chiefs and people of the Effutu Traditional Area held a splendid ceremony in Winneba on Saturday, May 6, 2023, to climax the 2023 Aboakyir Festival.
Prior to the presentation, the two Asafo companies (Tuafo and Dentsefo) embarked on a hunting expedition in search of a live deer from the sacred forest and presented the first catch to the Oma Odefe (Paramount Chief) at the durbar grounds for him to step on it three times as tradition demands.
Nenyi Ghartey VII, Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, bemoaned the levels of encroachment and cattle grazing at the Winneba Ramsar site which houses the sacred forest crucial in the continuous celebration of the Aboakyir Festival. He said that the human activities there pose a danger to the traditions of the Effutu people who depend on the sacred forest for the catch to hold the festival annually.
The Effutu Paramount Chief appealed to the appropriate state institutions to be proactive in working to protect the forest to save the cultural values and traditions that bind the people together.
The Central Regional Minister, Hon. Justina Marigold Assan, in an address lauded the Effutu Municipal Assembly for prioritizing sanitation issues in the Municipality prior to the celebration of the festival.
She was particularly grateful to the Effutu Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Alhaji Zubairu Kassim and the staff of the Assembly for their involvement in the Clean -up Exercise recently organized as part of her initiative at ensuring a healthy environment in the region.
Hon. Marigold Assan praised the chiefs and people of Winneba for the peaceful organization and celebration of the 2023 Aboakyir Festival, a development she said will boost investor confidence and bring more development to the area.
The Effutu Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Alhaji Zubairu Kassim, whiles introducing the chairman and Guest of Honour for the occasion noted that the Assembly places on top of its agenda issues of security and the promotion of peace and has put in place measures towards realizing the peace and security of the area to drive the development of the area and help to achieve the Effutu Dream.
On his part, the Special Guest of Honour and Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, noted that the theme for the celebration “Your Participation Makes a Difference for Development” was apt and charged the youth to reorient themselves to support the leadership of the country to bring about development.
Touching on the contribution of the traditional authorities in national development, Hon. Asamoah Boateng, posited the need for the country to reach a point where local government becomes the focus of development and not central government.
He pledged to work with the appropriate state institutions to stop the encroachment and cattle grazing at the Winneba Ramsar site which houses the sacred forest to protect the cultural heritage of the Effutu people.
Hon. Asamoah Boateng rallied the people of Winneba to support the efforts of the Member of Parliament, Hon. Alexander Afenyo- Markin at lobbying for development for the area.
In attendance were Government officials made up of former and present Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State owned institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from the central region.
The celebration also brought together people from all parts of the world including the Charlottesville Winneba Foundation from the United State of America and a Korean Choral Group that thrilled the gathering to melodious twi choral songs like “Ebenezer and Oye”
STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE -ISD
Last modified: May 8, 2023
