Berekuso celebrates annual Ohum Festival

The Chief of Berekuso, Odeefo Oteng Korankye II, who is also the Twafohene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, has urged indigenes of the town to use this year’s celebration of the annual Ohum Festival to rally round and support the town’s development drive.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, he said the town was faced with numerous challenges in the areas of education, health care, employment opportunities, infrastructure and mentioned in particular the deplorable nature of the roads leading to the town.

“The festival offers good opportunity for citizens of Berekusu, both far and near to come together and help tackle the challenges confronting this town. Berekuso’s greatest asset is her people.

I appeal, therefore, to all and sundry to take active part in the festival and also support in whatever way to the development of the town,” he said.

Festival

This year’s Ohum Festival of the people of Berekuso is on the theme; “Unity and Peace for Development”.

Activities to herald the occasion began on Monday, February 25 and would be climaxed today with a grand durbar.
The Guest of Honour for the festival is the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta.

Odeefo Korankye explained that on occasions such as the Ohum Festival, the people of Berekuso from all parts of the globe come together to commemorate the event and take part in activities geared towards honouring their forebears. Also on the occasion, he said, the chiefs affirmed their loyalty to the Twafo stool.

History of Berekuso

Berekuso is located in the Akuapem South District, and lies in a valley surrounded by mountains and is at a border town between the Greater Accra and the Eastern Region.

Like most towns on the Akuapem ridge, the chiefs and people of Berekuso formally celebrated the Odwira Festival but in the 17th century, the people led by a chief known as Nana Dartey Kofi changed the custom to observe Ohum instead.

In spite of Berekusu’s position as an integral town in the Akuapem state, the people of Berekuso were originally Akwamus who migrated from Twifo Hemang and settled at Nyanawase after making stops at Abetenese, Gomoa Nyanmangmu and Ofankor all in present day Central Region.

Due to their quest to live in a more conducive area, they moved from Nyanawase to Agyankote in present day Greater Accra Region under the leadership of Nana Oteng Korankye I.

Later on, led by their chief, Nana Adu Mireku, they moved to present day Berekuso in 1420, near River Boade, which became their source of drinking water.

River Boade was discovered by Amoa Gyan, a son of Nana Oteng Korankye I in a deep valley during a hunting expedition.

The chief sent a delegation to check out the water and Amoa Gyan, who gave the delegation direction to the deep valley, said in Twi “Bra-oku-noso” and hence the name Berekuso.