Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has been urged by the chiefs of Akyempim Traditional Area in the Central Region, to keep his promise to see that the Chieftaincy Act is abolished immediately.
The chiefs claimed that this repeal would give them the ability to manage some problems in their communities successfully. This call was issued by Nana Adubua Atta II, Nyimfahen of Akyempim Traditional Area, at a durbar to mark the inaugural Ahobaakese Festival.
The Ahobaakese Festival is celebrated by the Andam Mba Nyimfa Division of the traditional region of Gomoa Oguaa, a neighborhood in the Gomoa West District. Chiefs, queen mothers, and members of their families from the 13 towns that make up the Andam Mba Nyimfa Division of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, were present in large numbers for the ceremony, which had as its theme; “Remembering the Heroism of Egya Ahor.”
The purpose of the festival was to educate the general public about the origins of Ahobaakese celebrations and to teach them about the qualities of citizenship that their forefather, Egya Ahor displayed in saving his people.
The 1992 Constitution, according to the chairperson Nana Atta, was mute on how chiefs should carry out their responsibility as stewards of the land to raise the standard of living for everyone in their community.
“If the Act is repealed, it will go a long way to help reclaim our integrity and use such powers to ensure that sound justice and tranquility prevail in our catchments areas, rather than for people to continue seeking redress at the shrines.”
Nana Atta
Moreover, the Chief pleaded with Bismark Baisie Nkum, the head of the Gomoa West District, and Richard Gyan-Mensah, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa, to use their influence to push for the renaming of the Gomoa Dawurampong Senior High School (SHS) to “Egya Ahor SHS” in honor of the late chief priest.
According to Nana Atta, several acres of land have been set aside near the Gomoa Oguaa clinic for its eventual conversion into a hospital, as the local population had increased. He emphasized the necessity for the DCE and MP to support such a strategy, in order to stop their voters from traveling farther distances on poor roads to access healthcare.
History Of The People Of Gomoa
As stated by the Beamuhene of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, Nana Odeasempa Yaw Tawiah III, and the Odikro of Gomoa Kumasi, the Gomoa people led by Nana Gomoa, were part of the larger Akan Tribe, which migrated from the old Ghana Empire (Mesopotamia), due to some disturbances, to Takyiman and later arrived at the southern part of Ghana.
He further stated that when they arrived, an outbreak had already begun, killing a number of the people every day. He added that the chiefs consulted their gods, who demanded a human sacrifice to resolve the issue.
“Egyaa Ahor, the Chief Priest volunteered, and he was sacrificed. And that ended the epidemic, hence, the need for us to emulate his example, by dedicating and sacrificing ourselves for sound and total development of our localities,” he indicated, emphasizing that it brought about the name; “Ahobaa Festival.”
Moreover, the chiefs and residents of the Adam Andam Mba Nyimfa Division were congratulated by Nana Dantse II, Odikro of Gomoa Oguaa for taking part in all festival events to ensure its success. He expressed hope that future Ahobaakese festivities would draw larger crowds, in order to foster harmony and advance the growth of the traditional area.
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