Okyehene Shakes Manya Krobo Festival – With 120-Strong Entourage

The 2018 edition of the annual Ngmayem festival of the chiefs and people of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area was given splendid colour as chiefs from other traditional areas in the eastern region trooped to this year’s durbar, ostensibly to grace the occasion.

Notable among the special guests at last Friday’s durbar was the Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who stormed the venue with a retinue that is estimated at about 120 people.

For close to 90 minutes, the Akyem chiefs and queen mothers virtually hijacked proceedings with a rich display of their culture by drumming, dancing and firing hundreds of muskets, all to the admiration of dignitaries present.

The Okyehene was in attendance as a special guest to the Konor and Paramount Chief of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakitey II, who also sat in state with much splendor.

Also in attendance were the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and some chiefs from the Kwahu Tafo Traditional Area,.

In their keynote addresses, both Nene Sakitey and Amoatia Ofori Panin stressed on the bond that existed between the peoples of Akyem Abuakwa and Manya Krobo, which spanned many centuries, and the need to further strengthen that bond. They also spoke on the importance of education and the need for parents to take advantage of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to enroll their kids in the programme.

The two leaders also touched on the need to fight corruption in the country through every available legal means. While Nene Sakitey urged government to equip the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute all corrupt officials, the Okyehene urged all traditional rulers in the country to join government in the ongoing war on corruption.

For his part, Dr. Bawumia assured the people of Manya Krobo of their fair share of the massive infrastructural and developmental projects that government is embarking on across the country. He said the One District, One Factory policy could see some mango and cashew factories springing up in the area.

By Bennett Akuaku, Odumase-Krobo