No ‘okadas’ at Easter – Kwahu Chiefs
The chiefs of the Kwahu Traditional Area, have sent a strong warning to riders of motor cycles, especially unregistered ones, to desist from riding them on the Kwahu Ridge during the Easter festivities.
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Issuing out the warning when a team from the Daily Graphic visited him at his palace last Friday, the Chief of Obomeng-Kwahu, Nana Effah Pinamang III said most of the people who noisily rode unregistered motorcycles and disturbed the peace during the annual event were suspected criminals.
He, therefore, urged indigenes who owned unregistered motorcycles not to ride them to the towns, as they had the collaboration of the police to arrest such persons.
The Afinasoafohene of Obomeng, Nana Akuamoah Asumaning, also stated that motorcycles were a nuisance and urged all owners to park their motorbikes “if you come with it.”
Collaborating what Nana Asumaning said, the Kyidomhene and Asonahene of Kwahu-Abetifi, Nana Akuoko Boateng I also spoke against the use of unlicensed motorcycles and cars during the Easter festivities warning that they were collaborating with the police to have all riders and drivers of unregistered bikes and cars arrested since they could be suspected armed robbers and said “armed robbers are not wanted here.”
Improper dressing and immoral acts
The chiefs said they had barred improper dressing and prohibited immoral acts by the youth, which sometimes characterised the Easter activities on the Kwahu Ridge.
Nana Pinamang stated that visitors should dress properly and comport themselves and cautioned against the usage of drugs, so as to make the occasion a decent one.
Nana Asumaning, who advised young ladies not to dress inappropriately and expose their bodies said, “Those who have evil intentions should not attend the festivities.”
Nana Boateng, who claimed that some of the improper dressing otherwise known as ‘apushkeleke’ or ‘pooley’ was done by visitors, however, warned that anyone arrested would be “detained” and released only after the festivities.
He recounted that machetes were used on people at Nkwatia-Kwahu during one of the Easter festivities due to the improper dressing of some youth at the festival and cautioned that such incidents must not be allowed to happen again.
Essence of Easter festivities
Nana Pinamang said the essence of the Easter festivities was to create a forum for indigenes to return home to help with developmental efforts and also educate sons and daughters who had been away for a while on the customs and traditions of their forebears.
“Education is good but it is eroding some of our very important cultural practices,” he lamented.
Nana Pinamang, therefore, urged citizens who had become successful during their sojourn, to invest and establish some of their businesses in their communities in order to bolster their economies and entice more youth to stay.
“When we all leave our communities who will live in them,” he asked.