Asebu Paramount Chief marks 25years of leadership with grand Apeyamkese Silver Jubilee Celebration

Nana Prof. Okatakyi Amanfi VII, Paramount Chief of the Asebu Traditional Area, has launched a series of activities to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of his enstoolment, which runs from September to November 2025, coinciding with this year’s Apeyamkese Festival.

Themed “Celebrating 25 Years of Impactful Leadership and Over 1,000 Years of Asebu Heritage: Honouring the Past, Empowering the Future,” the twin celebration will highlight the rich cultural legacy, resilience, and history of the Asebu people.

Official events began on Tuesday, September 10, 2025, with a Women’s Day celebration at Akonoma, one of the traditional towns in the area. The event featured health screenings, cooking competitions, and the display of traditional Asebu cuisines, symbolising unity and cultural pride.

According to the Planning Committee, the celebration includes a lineup of major activities reflecting the Asebu Kingdom’s historical and cultural significance. On October 28, traditional rites will be performed at the Amanfi Stool in Asebu Putubiw, followed by a community clean-up exercise on November 1, which Nana Amanfi VII and his council will personally oversee.

A key highlight of the festivities will be a public lecture and symposium on Friday, November 7, 2025, at the Nyansapow Eco-Resort in Moree. The event, hosted by Nana Amanfi VII, will explore “The History Behind the Treaty of 1612 With the Dutch and the Chiefs of Asebu.” The Ambassadors of the Netherlands and Egypt to Ghana have been invited as Special Guests of Honour, underscoring the international and historical significance of the Asebu Kingdom’s millennium-long heritage.

The grand climax will be the Silver Jubilee Durbar on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Asebu Durbar Grounds, featuring a spectacular cultural display. Chiefs will be carried in palanquins through the main streets before gathering for the grand ceremony, which will be attended by royals, dignitaries, and cultural troupes from across Ghana and beyond.

Distinguished guests expected include His Royal Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyehene, and His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, among other prominent traditional leaders and national figures.

The Apeyamkese Festival, celebrated annually, honours Asebu Amanfi, the legendary giant and first ruler of the Asebu Kingdom. Also referred to as the “Passover,” the festival symbolises the people’s spiritual connection to their origins. It is believed that Amanfi’s handprints, footprints, and staff remain preserved as sacred heritage relics.

This year’s celebration stands out as a historic convergence of tradition and leadership, marking both the 1,000-year heritage of the Asebu Kingdom and 25 years of visionary rule by Nana Prof. Okatakyi Amanfi VII, a leader credited with championing education, cultural preservation, and community development across the traditional area.