Effutuman celebrates 2022 Aboakyer festival
The chiefs and people of Effutu Traditional Area have held a grand durbar to climax its weeklong activities to commemorate this year’s Aboakyer Festival.
Preceding the durbar was the famous hunting of a live deer by the two Asafo Companies (Tuafo and Dentsefo), from the sacred forest, which was presented to Oma Odefe at the durbar for him to step on three times as tradition demands.
The festival was held on the theme: “Together we build the road to a progressive society.”
This year’s first catch after the hunting expedition was brought by Tuafo Asafo Company to the durbar grounds at 0800hours.
At exactly 0704 hours, news broke out that the Tuafo had made the first catch which led to wild jubilation among the gathering at the durbar grounds, some of whom left the place to welcome the victorious Asafo Company from its hunting expedition.
Information gathered also indicated that Dentsefo Number two company made a catch but failed to send it to the grounds for an unknown reason.
Neenyi Ghartey VII, Effutu Oma Odefe, in his address, stated that no matter how arduous the adventure into the thicket to hunt for a live deer, the practice would be sustained to honour their ancestors and protect their historic culture for posterity.
Neenyi Ghartey informed the gathering that the theme for this year’s celebration was selected on purpose because the Effutu Paramountcy believed in the importance of each and every member of the community and how special their contributions were towards the total growth and development of the area.
According to him, Effutuman had enjoyed remarkable progress with the construction of a safe landing facility and with regard thanked President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government and expressed the hope that when commissioned, fish hygiene would be improved just as the safety of canoes.
He appealed to the government to construct an ultra-modern market for them, saying the current state of the market in Winneba Township was not the best.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister, applauded the chiefs and people of the area for celebrating this year’s festival peacefully and expressed the hope that they would continue to sustain and improve on a united front to forge development.
She also thanked all who in diverse ways contributed to a peaceful and successful celebration and hoped it would pave the way for investors and tourists to visit the community.
She mentioned that teenage pregnancy in the region was on the ascendancy and therefore appealed to the chiefs to help fight the menace.