AGONA SWEDRU CELEBRATES AKWAMBO FESTIVAL GRAND STYLE

Thousands of people joined the chiefs and people of Agona Swedru, in the Central Region last Saturday, in a grand durbar to climax the week-long Akwambo Festival, amid pomp and pageantry.

The crowd was so huge that the Chief of Swedru, Nana Kobina Botwe II, was overwhelmed by the turnout at the festival, which also marked the 40th Anniversary celebration of his enstoolment, as chief of Ghana's notable trading city.

There was palanquin procession of chiefs and queens through the principal streets, coupled with the firing of musketry, while cultural troupes displayed rich Ghanaian traditional dances, to the amazement of visitors, who thronged the Swedru main lorry park.

The chiefs also portrayed rich Kente clothing, with beautiful gold ornaments, which attracted the attention of some visitors as well as tourists.

The Asafo companies were superb in their display, while the originality of the Swedru Brass Band was impressive, drawing a large crowd which could not help it but dance.

The Main Zongo Chief, the Yalewa Zongo Chief, as well as the Zabon Zongo Chief on horseback, were very impressive attracting cheers from the crowd, while the Sanaahen of Swedru, Nana Ogyabia Badu Ehuren, caught the attention of the people, as he rode in his palanquin.

Kwaw Kesse, a hip life artiste, who was honoured by the traditional council for his contribution towards the image of Agona Swedru, charged the atmosphere with his music, as people shouted “Abodam, Abodam”.

Speaking at the durbar, Nana Botwe, said Swedru was founded in 1730, and the ancestors used the occasion of the Akwambo festival to clean the town, and also take stock of local issues affecting them.

He said the town was locally known as “Sua Edur,” but the English turned it to Swedru.

Nana Botwe thanked President Kufuor for elevating Swedru to Municipal status, and Agona West a district.

He appealed to the government to build another police station in the town, as the crime rate was increasing, while the police personnel at post were unable to meet the challenges, owing to their small number.

He bemoaned the rate at which the youth in the town indulged in cocaine and wee smoking, and called on the police to step up their campaign in fighting the drug menace in the town.

He also advised the youth to refrain from causing confusion during the elections, by resisting any monetary inducement to do so.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Ben Mensah, commended the chiefs for partnering the municipality for the total development of the retailing city.

He also commended the chiefs and the people, for keeping the city clean, explaining that the city was recently adjudged the cleanest city in the Central Region.

The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Samuel Kwaku Obodai, reiterated that the government would soon establish an Urban Roads office in Swedru, so as to rehabilitate all the roads in the municipality.

He also urged them to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to enable them access cheap health services.

The Akwambo festival is celebrated every first week in August, and before that time, there is a ban on noise-making and burying of the dead, until the climax of the festival.

Libation is poured at the Okyene Kwesi Shrine, the war-god of Swedru, for protecting the city.

However, the Akwambo festival lacks the national touch that is given to the Oguaa Fetu Afahye, Winneba Aboakyir and Edina Bakatue festivals, all in the Central Region, in which government officials and opposition parties normally make their presence known.