The ancient city of Winneba has been filled with euphoria, tradition, and brisk activities as the chiefs and people of Effutu climaxed their week-long Aboakyer festival. Hundreds of people, including citizens and foreigners, thronged the coastal city to join the indigenes in their annual traditional revelry.
The Aboakyer festival, with its rich history, according to history, commemorates the migration of the Winneba people from the ancient Western Sudan Empire and involves an annual ritual of animal sacrifice to their deity, Penkye Otu. The ritual has evolved over time from human sacrifice to the capture of a wild cat, and finally to the current practice of catching a live bushbuck.
This year’s festival, themed “Championing our ancestral legacy,” featured a grand durbar of chiefs in traditional outfits, and a heavy security presence was deployed to maintain law and order. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin performed his role as Osahen of Tuafo No. 1 and Dentsefo No. 2 Asafo Companies during the festival.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
