DAILY GRAPHIC, Monday, October 21, 2012.

Story: Mary Ankrah
 THE chiefs and people of the Akwamu Traditional Area in the Eastern Region have reconciled after 20 years of turmoil and chieftaincy disputes to revive their dead “Akwamu Nhyiamu kese festival (Akwamu homecoming event).

The dispute, which erupted after the death of the paramount chief of the Akwamu State, the late Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II, was said to have incited most of the citizens to leave the state to settle elsewhere and retarded growth and development in the area.

This year’s festival is slated for November 2 to November 11, 2012 and will be celebrated on the theme: “Akwamu homecoming: Re-awaking the Akwamu Spirit”.

It would be marked with various activities including vigil, clean-up exercises, performance of purification rites and rituals, visitation and presentation of gifts to the aged at Akwamufie, Remembrance Day, float, launching of the Akwamu Gorge conservation trust for  the Akwamu hill community forest projects, grand durbar and Akwasidae.

It is expected that the festival would foster and sustain an atmosphere of unity and peace for the development of the state and bring the sons and daughters of the state back home to learn their rich history and culture.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the festival in Accra last Monday, Mr Godfred Akyea-Darkwah, Chairman of the Marketing and Planning Committee, in a speech read on behalf of the paramount chief, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, observed that the chieftaincy dispute, which was characterised by high unemployment, low investment opportunities, high education drop-out rate, disunity and poverty had ceased, following the installation of a new paramount chief.

In addition, he noted that the celebration of the festival was crucial to bring happiness among the people to come together to build the area as “the peace pipe has already been smoked. Our differences have been buried”.

Mr Akyea-Darkwah called on the people of Akwamu, Ghanaians and investors to invest in the tourist potential of the area and benefit from the rich natural resources and investment features of the area.

Launching the festival, Oyiakehyire Ansa Kwao IV, the Adumasahene in the Akwamu area, invited the people of Akwamu both at home and abroad, all Ghanaians and tourists to the festival which was expected to strengthen unity and peace in the area.

He used the occasion to advice Ghanaians to maintain peace before, during and after the general elections to raise Ghana’s democratic credentials.

Like most Akans, the Akwamus migrated from Bono Manso to settle at the Twifo-Heman forest at the latter part of the 16th century. This group of Akans belonged to the Aduana family and are blood brothers of the Asumennya, Dormaa and Kumawu.

Traditionally the Akwamuhene has jurisdiction over the Akosombo part of the Volta River.
The Tini Waterfalls, the Akosombo Dam and the Senchi Bridge are some of the cultural heritage sites of the area.