All roads lead to the historical city of Cape Coast this weekend as the Central Regional capital, which hosts the world to its celebrated Fetu Afahye festival, which is estimated to record hundreds of thousands of visitors, to the annual homecoming gathering of the people of Oguaa.
Fetu Afahye, an annual festival observed in the first week of September by Oguaa Chiefs and residents, commemorates their forebearers and is a unifying force for families both near and far.
This year’s celebration also marks the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Oguaahene, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, who is the Paramount Chief of the Cape Coast Traditional Council.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who is the Special Guest of Honour for this momentous occasion, incidentally also marked his 25th anniversary as the King of the Asantes this year.
The Oguaa Fetu Afahye festivities officially kicked off a week ago when enthusiastic celebrants and traditionalists worldwide were treated to various exhilarating regattas.
The canoe race witnessed fierce competition among three of the seven Asafo companies, namely Bentsir, Nkum, and Anaafo.
Eventually, the yellow warriors (Nkum) emerged victorious, securing their fifth consecutive win in the competition.
As the competitors were awarded medals and prizes, the streets reverberated with exuberant cheers and the rhythmic chants of Asafo war songs.
Before the thrilling canoe race, the Oguaa Traditional Council conducted sacred rituals at the banks of the Fosu Lagoon, lifting the one-month ban on fishing and thereby initiating the week-long celebration of the festival.
Libations were poured to invoke the blessings of the gods upon Oguaaman and its inhabitants for a prosperous year ahead.
It was also aimed at seeking divine intervention for abundant fishing and agricultural yields and attracting investments for job creation for the teeming unemployed youth.
Earlier, the ceremonial proceedings, commenced with a grand procession of chiefs, Queen mothers, traditional priests, and priestesses through the prominent streets of Cape Coast, with brief halts at sacred shrines for purification rites.
Adorned in black and red garments with green leaves (nyanya) adorning their heads and necks, the traditional leaders reached the lagoon’s shores to the excitement of the teeming crowd who were waiting anxiously.
The casting of the Omanhen’s net was performed thrice amidst musket salutes and incantations to determine the prospects of a bountiful harvest in the upcoming year.
The vibrant event culminated in a royal march to the Oguaamanhen, accompanied by traditional melodies, as the priests presented the fish caught in the Omanhen’s net to the deities as a gesture of gratitude for the anticipated harvest.
The arrival of the Special Guest of Honor, the Asantehene to Cape Coast, on Thursday has fuelled the growing excitement of the festival, as the clash of the Asante and Fante cultures promises a spectacular, memorable and colourful exhibition of Ghanaian customs and traditions at the Grand Durbar of Chiefs.