Kantamanto Festival to celebrate Nana Prah Agyensaim VI
The Traditional Council of Owirenkyiman has stated that this year’s Kantamanto Festival will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the coronation of its President, Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI.
Consequently, it has outlined the activities for the celebration, which will also coincide with the 80th birthday of the traditional ruler.
The celebration, which has already been launched at Assin Kushea, the capital of the traditional area, will be climaxed on Saturday, October 29, with a grand durbar of the chiefs and people.
Giving details of the event, a member of the Anniversary Planning Committee, Russel Banful, said the activities would not only celebrate Ehunabobrim for his sterling leadership over the past 40 years, but also his 80th birthday as well as launch his audacious plan of making the area a tourism destination.
“It has been 40 years of progressive leadership and development of Ehunabobrim and it coincides with his 80th birthday, so his people are celebrating him.
“The Kantamanto Festival of the traditional area is dedicated to his 40th anniversary and 80th birthday and it will also be used to launch Ehunabobrim’s plan to make the area a tourism destination,” Mr Banful explained.
Activities
Some of the traditional and social activities earmarked for the week-long celebration, begin with a health screening exercise for residents in the communities that make up the traditional area, after which there would be a bonfire and storytelling about the history of Owirenkyiman.
There will also be special programmes for women such as talks and a cooking competition as well as a health walk to promote the need for exercise to be led by Ehunabobrim, after which there will be a cleanup exercise and also some traditional ceremonies.
There will also be a fundraising event for schools in the traditional area and an inter-community football gala with the chief in attendance as a special guest, a dinner dance to be hosted by Nana Agyensaim for guests from across the country.
The grand durbar will be held after a commemorative marathon over 21-km opened to long distance runners from all over the country and a non-denominational thanksgiving service held on October 30, to bring down the curtains on the celebration.
“All the activities will help us to have something to celebrate culturally as a people and also deeply involve the youth who are very dear to Ehunabobrim,” Mr Banful emphasised.
Ehunabobrim’s vision
Mr Banful further explained that the festival was also part of efforts to make the area a tourism destination.
Also, he said the area had a significant part in the story of slavery as it has the grave of an unidentified man, who died and was buried there, while people captured as slaves passed through the area on their way to Cape Coast for onward shipment to overseas.
“All these are significant enough to attract people to visit the area, hence Ehunuabobrim’s vision to turn them into opportunities for the community,” Mr Banful said.