Nwoase Celebrates Colorful Odwira Festival To Honor Their Gods And Ancestors

The Chiefs and people of Nwoase, a community in the Wenchi municipality of the Bono region have celebrated a colourful Odwira festival to honour the gods and ancestors who lived, served and fought for their people.

The Odwira festival stands for Yam Festival in which they give yam in a form of sacrifice to the gods for protecting them throughout the years.

Following its celebration, someone will secretly sneak in and place a yam at the doorstep of the Chief Priest and whenever the linguist (Okyeame) finds out there is a yam at the doorstep of the Chief Priest, he informs him of the situation because the time is not due to consume yam; the Chief Priest orders them to find out who did that. When the people of town find the person who did that, they start shooting at the person (kwasias emakwa) repeatedly, meaning what foolishness is that till the morning with drums and dancing.

Later in the day, Nana Kwaku Firi eats the yam in order to allow the people of Nwoase and its environs to also consume the yam of their harvest as custom demands.

Odwira festival is a rich culture celebrated by the people of Nwoase.

Nana Kofi Drobo I was the founder and the first high Priest of the Kwaku Firi Shrine in the early 1940s. He was also the joint founder of Nwoase with the Kwaku Firi deity. He was indeed a specialist in medicine and was the most useful source of help not only to the people of Nwoase but Ghana and bordering the seas. 

He was the friend of the community and to those without hope and was accessible to everyone and at almost all times. Nana was a hunter, Priests and seers are often hunters, and so they live in closer contact with nature and other men. 

Priests and diviners are the principal makers of charms, for they have the necessary knowledge, which has been acquired from others doctors. They learn the ways of animals and the properties of trees and plants, their natural elements as well as all kinds of curious associations gathered around them. Many hunters are said to understand the language of birds and animals and to be able to change into animal form. 

The Saanahene of Nwoase Nana Kofi Afena admitted that, their festival symbolism peace and togetherness because people move from all walks of life to come and celebrate the festival especially the natives of Nwoase.

 

He urged the youth in Ghana to desist from quick money searches, encouraged them to focus on their education and avail themselves to the traditions of their communities.

He heightened that the strict measures that the chiefs in Nwoase put in place have improved the living condition and they know the gods are always happy with the protocols.

•ZACK

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