Kwahu Easter ban, our worst nightmare–indigenes

FOR almost three decades, the Kwahu area has been the hot spot for Easter holidays with many people and corporate bodies across the country trooping to the famous mountains to celebrate in their way the death and resurrection of Christ.

However, that annual ritual which has made the Kwahu Range the biggest assembly point for socialites, tourists, revellers and most importantly, an occasion for family reunions, especially for indigenes whose relatives live abroad or work in other places will not take place this year.

Speaking with the Graphic Showbiz last Monday, several indigenes said the ban on Kwahu seemed like a dream to them since they had never imagined it ever happening.

For Afia Pokua, a radio presenter, she was yet to come to terms with the fact that her much loved “Kwahu oooo Kwahu ooo” was not happening when some natives had been preparing feverishly towards the occasion.

 

According to her, preparations for the festivities always started the previous year and so many people and, especially, corporate bodies had already committed resources for this year’s Kwahu Easter festival and were disappointed at how things had turned out.

“I have spoken to quite a number of people who expressed similar sentiments like me. For some of them, it seems they are dreaming because they never imagined such a situation where the famous Kwahu Easter festivities would be cancelled but here we are today.

“Many people have already invested a lot but as the President and Traditional authorities noted, it is for our safety and it will be thoughtless to put the lives of people at risk. When this is over, we can always have more of ‘Kwahu ooo Kwahus’,” she said.

Afia’s views were shared by many residents who said they were still yet to come to terms to the reality of not celebrating Kwahu Easter this year.

n the words of Maggi Papabi, owner of Wonderful Jesus Salon in Nkawkaw, “this is not a good dream and I don’t want it to repeat itself”.

“As a hairdresser, I make a lot of money during the festivities because every lady here wants to look good but unfortunately, that has not been the case.

“The clients would have started trooping in by now but even regular clients are not coming due to the education that COVID-19 is transmitted through openings in the body and it is quite unfortunate for me and others,” she said.

Kwahu Easter is always characterised by a lot of fun activities, and would have started tomorrow, April 10, which is Good Friday through to Easter Sunday, April 12.

Last year, when Graphic Showbiz visited the Kwahu towns of Abene, Abetifi, Pepease, Atibie, Nkwatia, Obo, Bepong, Tafo, Akwasiho, Obomeng, Twenedurase, Nteso, Nkawkaw, Mpraeso, Asakraka and Aduamoa, to find out about preparations, there were a number of make-shift structures, which were said to cater for the large numbers of patrons who throng the bars, pubs and restaurants during the occasion.

Interestingly, Afia Pokua said these structures were missing in the various towns. “Normally, these wooden make-shift structures are erected in the week or two weeks to the celebrations but as we all know, the ban came in earlier so there was no need for them.

“Even before our Traditional rulers banned Kwahu Easter festivities this year, it was obvious that the event would not come off, especially when President Akufo-Addo’s one month ban on public gathering of not more than 25 people on March 15 would end on Easter Sunday, April 12.

“So there was no way we would have celebrated Kwahu Easter and as I speak, even though we have not recorded any case of coronavirus in any of the Kwahu towns, everyone is cautious and only step out of our houses when necessary,” she indicated.