Fetu Afahye climaxed with royal splendour
This year’s Fetu Afahye was a banquet of culture and tradition served on golden platters for patrons.
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It was the best of Oguaaman welcoming the grace of Asanteman.
Royal umbrellas of all sizes, muskets and fontomfrom drums, graceful adowa dances and more. It was royalty and tradition in all their splendour in the ancient historic city of Cape Coast, the city of firsts.
The Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, was joined at the weekend by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to ride in palanquins as part of the Fetu Afahye procession.
It was the first time the Asantehene had joined the people of Cape Coast in his royal capacity. Two royalties, two traditions and thousands of excited subjects from across Ghana and beyond lined the streets to cheer them on.
The Victoria Park welcomed a graceful blend of the two cultures; royalty in regal kente up high in colourful palanquins, graceful dances and golden ornaments as the Asantehene joined the Oguaamanhen and his chiefs and queens in procession to the durbar grounds.
Dozens of other Oguaa chiefs also rode in palanquins into spontaneously ecstatic crowds.
This year's Fetu Afahye, celebrated on the theme: “Celebrating the City of Firsts: Our People, Our Culture”, was all it promised patrons and more. Crowds trooped to the ancient historic city of Cape Coast, stretching it to its elastic limit.
This year’s Fetu Afahye was the biggest, considering the numbers and the dignitaries that graced one of Ghana's most celebrated festivals. This was not necessarily a surprise, considering it was the 60th anniversary of the reintroduction of the festival after colonial masters had stopped its celebration.
The crowd was ecstatic. The excitement was palpable. It was the Oguaaman chiefs, led by the seven Asafo companies, that first processed to the durbar grounds to sit and welcome the guest, notably the Asantehene and his retinue of chiefs.
Other chiefs from the Central Region and other parts of the country, including the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, were also present.
Indeed, Cape Coast was painted with colour and royalty.
Guests
From a bird's eye view, it was a sea of chiefly umbrellas and regal royalty. It looked like all of Ghana was in Cape Coast.
The streets were jammed and security was tight at particularly the fully packed Victoria Park even when it awaited the arrival of the procession of chiefs.
The festival was attended by the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his 2024 elections running mate, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and other leading members of the New Patriotic Party.
Also present was a delegation of the National Democratic Congress led by its running mate, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
An independent presidential aspirant and leader of the New Force Movement, Nana Kwame Bediako, also made an appearance.
Also present was the British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson.
It was credit to the festival planning committee headed by a former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, who is also a Safohen of the Nkum Number Four Asafo company, for the orderly celebration.
Commendation
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, speaking through a linguist, congratulated the Oguaamanhene on the occasion that climaxed his year-long Silver Jubilee celebration.
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The Asantehene praised Osabarimba Atta for his humility, a trait he said he had observed since their first encounter, and urged the Oguaamanhen to maintain this modest demeanour, emphasising that it was a mark of true leadership.
He highlighted the role of the people in the development and success of a community, and appealed to indigenes, both living in and outside Cape Coast, to work together with the traditional leadership with a sense of unity and dedication, stressing that it was the collective effort of the citizens that would bring prosperity to Oguaaman.
The Asantehene further underscored the historic significance of Cape Coast, reminding the people that it was the first city in Ghana where many foundational institutions were established.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, therefore, appealed to the people to continue building on those foundations to ensure that Cape Coast maintained its historical relevance and influence.
As a gesture of his commitment to education, Otumfuo Osei Tutu made a generous donation of GH¢500,000 to support the Osabarimba Educational Fund to promote educational initiatives in the Oguaa Traditional Area.
He explained that the donation was specifically targeted at helping the needy, and called on others to contribute towards the betterment of education in Cape Coast and the entire region.
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In response, Osabarimba Atta expressed gratitude for Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s kind words and generous support.
He pledged to make the best use of the financial donation, further promising to provide periodic reports on the progress of the investment.
"Thank you very much for your benevolence, and I promise to give you a periodic report," he said.
Osabarimba Atta called for continued collaboration and partnership between himself and Asantehene for the progress of their people and communities.
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The Vice-President, Dr Bawumia, said Cape Coast was not merely a location, but a "cradle of our history, a city that has given birth to significant cultural, educational and political movements in Ghana”.
"As the first capital of the Gold Coast, it has been a centre for trade, education and cultural exchange. The Fetu Afahye, which has its roots in the traditions of the Fante people, serves as a vibrant reminder of our collective past and an opportunity to celebrate our shared identity," he added.
He commended the traditional council and the people of Cape Coast for their dedication to promoting Ghanaian culture and heritage,.
He also urged the youth to take pride in their heritage and to actively participate in preserving and promoting the nation’s rich traditions, stressing that the youth had a critical role as the torchbearers of the culture and the architects of the future of the country.
He donated GH¢200,000 to the council.
Planning Committee
The Chairperson of the Fetu Afahye Planning Committee, Charlotte Osei, expressed gratitude to everyone, particularly Osabarimba Atta, for his dedication to Oguaaman.
She said across the 25 years of service of the Oguaamanhen, it was not difficult to find his contributions to the development of the area.
She also thanked the people of Oguaaman for their collective effort in ensuring the success of the Fetu Afahye, urging them to continue playing their different roles in the development of the area.
She also extended appreciation to Otumfuo Osei Tutu and the Asanteman Council, the Vice-President, the running mate of the NDC, and other dignitaries for their love, cooperation and support towards the success of the event.
