Royal duties, festival opportunity
On Sunday, I joined fellow Akatakyie and the school athletics team on a three-part royal tour to show off our gleaming champions’ trophy from this year’s Ashanti Regional Inter-School Athletic Superzonal contest to three of our several alumni paramount chiefs, the occupants of the Kumawu, Juaben and Bantama stools.
Of the three visits, perhaps the most significant one for me personally was the first - that of Kumawu, where my late father hailed from, was a sub-chief and is buried.
In many ways therefore, it was a homecoming moment for me with bittersweet memories, including that of a family visit to his grave in July last year to mark a decade of his passing.
The current Omanhene of Kumawu, Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua (AE67), was not only one year ahead of me in school but was also in my house, St John, and it was heartwarming to get to exchange a few pleasantries with him and recall some moments from school.
The Juabenhene, Daasebere Otuo Serebuor (E36), a big fan of this column, also reminded me when we turned up at his palace that he shared the same St John house with my late father back in the day.
It was a Sunday of the beloved apostle John, apparently.
Papa Nantwie festival
Beyond the personal touch of my Kumawu visit was something more fascinating that I had never witnessed ̶ the famous Papa Nantwie Festival of the chiefs and people of the traditional area, which also coincided with Akwasidae.
Apparently, it was last held 19 years ago due to a number of challenges.
Unfortunately, we did not have much time to absorb the full flavours of this festive occasion because of our two other pending royal engagements in Juaben and Bantama.
But there was enough juice to soak up and to enjoy the sights and smells.
The streets of the usually quiet town were heaving with both human and vehicular traffic as the police kept a watchful eye to maintain the peace.
Drums throbbed and sacred rituals were observed behind closed doors.
Hawkers did brisk business and both citizens and visitors proudly wore their festival t-shirts backed by broad smiles as they swung this way and that way and got into the carnival mood.
An almost sudden appearance in an open-top vehicle by the famous music star Shatta Wale drove the youth in particular wild with ecstasy as they surged forward to catch a glimpse of him.
History & practice
Rather embarrassed by the fact that I knew next to nothing about this festival of my father’s people, I decided to do a little research on my own.
According to the website of the Sekyere Kumawu District Assembly and www.ghanaremembers.com, the festival is a traditional celebration of the people of Kumawu to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of their ancestor, Barima Tweneboa Kodua, who sacrificed his life to help Asante secure its independence from Denkyira in battle.
It also reinforces the values of bravery, unity and community spirit among the people.
The highlight of the festival, following various sacred ancestral rites, is a contest of bravery which takes place at a designated spot before a large assembly.
During this event, a large cow is slaughtered and placed in a large arena in front of a huge crowd.
A path is created leading to the location of the meat, and courageous individuals attempt to cut a piece of the meat, running to a designated spot whilst being beaten with whips.
Those who succeed in this challenge are deemed brave and courageous and receive awards from the
Omanhene. Apparently, this was the recruitment method for young men in preparation for war.
I wondered idly whether this method would not save the security services some of the trouble they have had to deal with recently in their recruitment exercise.
At least, a disappointed, vanquished footsoldier would know he was lashed fair and square, leaving no room for bitterness or complaints as he quietly nursed his bruises.
Alas, I digress…
This year’s festival ran from 3rd to 15th March 2026 and featured food contests, beauty pageants, environmental cleaning, tree planting, preparation of traditional dishes and a grand durbar.
Societal significance
Every group of people all over the world has important landmarks in its history that have shaped and/or guided them throughout time, such as migration, famine, religious or war events, among others, and which are deemed significant enough to celebrate in remembrance or to enforce certain values as part of its heritage.
These commemorations constitute an important umbilical cord to that society’s collective past, painful or joyous.
Whether it is the USA’s Thanksgiving, Christianity’s Christmas or Easter, Islam’s Eid-al-Fitr, Munich’s beer festival, Medieval Europe’s Mardi Gras, Ethiopia’s Timkat, the Igbos’ Masquerade and New Yam festivals, or the many traditional festivals of Ghana, the fundamental point remains ̶ there is a history to be remembered and to reflect upon.
Unfortunately, in spite of our festivals featuring in social studies programmes in our schools, many children, particularly those living in our large cities, grow up with very little experience of even festivals relating to their ethnic backgrounds, primarily because their families have become so urbanised that going to one’s hometown, whether for festivals or not, hardly features on the family radar.
I do hope that more is done to make festival tourism more attractive for our youth, in particular, to translate their classroom knowledge of the Kundum, Aboakyer, Odwira, Bakatue, Hogbetsotso, Damba and many other local festivals into real, practical experience and thus help keep them alive for posterity.
Knowledge and practical experience of festivals of other ethnic groups help to improve one’s knowledge base, preserve ethnic harmony and promote the national unity that we all rightly crave.
Available data suggest a generally decent domestic tourism sector.
On December 16, 2025, www.myjoyonline.com reported that Ghana’s domestic tourism sector generated GH₵6.59 billion in total expenditure in 2023, with 15,388,978 visits, driven by strong same-day and overnight travel, according to the Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) fact sheet released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Across all quarters, nearly 70 per cent of same-day trips were made to visit friends and relatives, with at least 29 per cent linked to funerals.
For overnight travel, more than 80 per cent of trips were for visiting friends and relatives, with funerals accounting for at least 39.7 per cent.
Whilst these figures are comforting, it is a fact that hotel costs in this country are generally quite exorbitant and thus a disincentive for local tourism for pleasure.
There is certainly work to be done.
I certainly do not intend to miss the next Papa Nantwie Festival in Kumawu.
I might even attempt to sprint down the path to grab some juicy pieces of beef for a barbecue back home.
I am sure I can endure the whipping and thus demonstrate that I am indeed a man of valour.
So help me God.
Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng.
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