We're Bringing Odambea Festival To Its Homeland And We Still Stand By It

There are intriguing festivals all year round in Ghana that you should experience at least once in your life time .

Traditional festivals erupt with remarkable cultural and historic propensity.

Arts, food and music festivals come with creative dynamism, outstanding street tastes and exciting rare rhythm.

There are about seventy (70) major festivals in Ghana celebrated either to memorialize harvest seasons (the most common type usually after the rainy season), migration or territory expansion history, stool cleansing, just to mention few.

Such events consecrate family and communal bonds while extolling the colourful and installing spirituality of the people.

Odambea Festival, which is celebrated by the people of Nkusukum Traditional Area is one of the festivals in Ghana and it is happening live at Yamoransah where the Paramount Chief the recognized Traditional Area belongs this year, August 2022.

The legitimate Acting President of the Nkusukum Traditional Area, Nana Beenyi lll has stated emphatically that, by the power vested in him as the legitimate Acting President of the Nkusukum Traditional Area, he still stand by it that the Odambea Festival, which is the Traditional Council's Festival will be celebrated at Yamoransah in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region without mincing words with anybody since, the traditional authorities are performing all the necessary and customary rites, that run before the celebration of the memorable occasion.

"We are going to Yamoransah, Duadze, Kuntu, Penyim, Mankessim among other towns to perform all the necessary rites to welcome the memorable occasion to Yamorasah," he disclosed.

"l am sending this informaton to Nana Kwesi Brebo lll, Nana Baah and all the Chiefs under the Traditional Area that, communities under the Traditional Area belongs to the Paramount chief, Nana Okese Essandoh lX, who is the Paramount Chief of Nkusukum Traditional Area therefore, nothing can stop him from exercising his chieftaincy rite by getting to his people under his Traditional Area to perform the necessary customary rite before the commencement of the Odambea Festival.

Speaking at a press conference organized by the Nkusukum Traditional Council at Yamoransah, Nana Beenyi lll continued that, anyone who will try to prevent the Paramount Chief from performing his customary rite to embrace the Odambea Festival peacefully, is pulling him or herself out of his or her kingship or queenship position.

He then sent a word of caution to anyone who will dare celebrate the Odambea festival at any place aside Yamoransah, evokes the powers of Nana Okese Essandoh IX the Paramount Chief, hence will carry his or her own cross.

"All the festivals which are to be celebrated at Nkusukum Traditional Area should be put on hold, and there is only one festival for the Omanhen of Yamoransah, and that is the Odambea Festival, therefore, no one should dare celebrate any festival before the Odambea at any place under the Traditional Area".

Meanwhile, the Omanhen of Yamoransah who is the Paramount Chief of Nkusukum Traditional Area, Nana Okese Essandoh lX explained that, Odambea was initially celebrated in Yamoransah until its dead which was revived 1978 but was shifted to Saltpond due to how smaller Yamoransah was, to be able to contain and welcome all their visitors of Ghana and abroad into the community, is the reason why the traditional authorities agreed on shifting its celebration to Saltpond (Akyemfo) a community under the Traditional Area.

He said, Yamoransah community is now large and developed enough to host its own Festival hence, hosting this year's Odambea in the town.

Nana Okese Essandoh lX explained that, the latest Chieftaincy Ordinance which guides Chieftaincy right of Nkusukum Traditional Area is the Ordinance of 1952 which supersedes all the Ordinance of the Traditional Area.

According to him, the 1952 Ordinance clearly shows that, Nana Okese Essandoh IX is the president and can be replaced if he is not available by the Obaatan (Senior Division Chief) who is the Acting President for the Traditional Area under the Traditional Area's hierarchy, hence, has every right to celebrate this Festival in his hometown (Yamoransah).

"When Omanhen "joins his ancestors" and Obaatan is there, he automatically assumes the position of Acting President without any nomination".

He disclosed that, all what Nana Kwesi Brebo III who was the Acting President for Nkusukum Traditional Area is circulating in the airwaves, claiming he is the Acting President of Nkusukum Traditional Council are all fallacies and must be regarded as such.

He emphasized that, Nana Beenyi lIl is the legitimate Acting President of Nkusukum Traditional Area under the Chieftaincy Ordinance of 1952, and is charging anyone who will challenge the legitimacy of the 1952 Ordinance to prove his case with any other Ordinance that over powers the 1952 Ordinance.

The Paramount Chief stated that, the Traditional Area has acted upon the ruling of the Central Regional House of Chiefs under the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs dated January 29, 2019 which was directed by the previous President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Obrempong Nyanful Krampah XI to respectfully request the Traditional Councils involved to replace their current Acting Presidents with new Chiefs who are gazetted, and introduce them to the house accordingly and as such, Nana Beenyi Ill legitimately becomes the Acting President for Nkusukum Traditional Area, therefore, anyone who will call himself the Acting President of the Traditional Area apart from Nana Beenyi should go back and study the Nkusukum Chieftaincy Ordinance of 1852.

He therefore entreated the general public to come in their numbers, to welcome the colourful celebration of Odambea Festival which is going to be celebrated next month August, 2022 at Yamoransah

Odambea Festival is an annual festival, celebrated by the people of Nkusukum Traditional Area.

It is usually celebrated on the last Saturday of August to commemorate the migration of "Nkusukum" people centuries ago from Techiman (500km away) to their present settlement .

"Odambea" means "fortified link," a name resulting from the role played by the "Nkusukum" people in keeping the migrant groups in touch with each other following their exodus from Techiman.

A special feature of the festival is re-enactment of the ancient lifestyles of the people, which will provide you with a unique opportunity to learn more about how they migrated.

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