The most widespread and per­haps the most popular traditional festivals in Ghana today are to be found in the Central Region. During the period between May and September it is common to see a good num­ber of people of Fante origin liv­ing elsewhere making their way home to be part of celebra­tions in their various towns and villages. One of such is Enyan Abaasa.

 

Enyan Abaasa is located in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District in the Central Region of Ghana. It is the second largest town in the dis­trict in terms of size and third in terms of population to Bisease and Breman Essiam respectively. It is, however, the biggest of the three Enyan states, namely Abaasa, Denkyira and Maim.

 

The name Abaasa is very his­toric. It originated from one Egya Abban and his palm wine tapping business. History has it that Egya Abban detached himself from his People at Enyan Maim where the Enyan sub tribe of the Fantes set­tled at Mankessim. He went a little south-east inland and established his palm wine tapping business there. His industry and sweetness of his palm wine attracted many people far and near to his settlement.

 

Any time the people visited Egya Abban's industry, they would say in Fante”Yereko Abban Nsa Do,” literally explained "We are going to Aban's palm wine tapping place." As a result of morphological process and assimilation Abban Nsa Do” metamorphosed into "Abaasa" and the town has been known and called as such since then.

 

Like the founder, the people of Enyan Abaasa are basically peas­ant farmers. Food crops such as cassava, plantain, yam and cocoy­am are cultivated on a fairly large scale. Cash crops like oil palm, cit­rus, cashew and coconut are also planted on large scale. Abaasa is noted for her citrus plantations. It is second to none in the district, if not the whole of the Central Region.

 

Education is the biggest industry in Abaasa. There are three public basic schools and two private basic preparatory schools. About 20 years ago, the community under the able leadership of the chiefs and develop­ment association executive estab­lished a technical institute. This was done in recognition of the impor­tance of technical education in industrialisation and job security for the products of the institute.

 

Enyan Abaasa, like other Borbor Kumkumfi states (Gomoa, Ajumako, Ekumfi and Enyan) has three basic traditional religious festivals. These festivals are Ahobaa, Eguadoto and Akwambo.

 

Ahobaa festival is celebrated by all Borbor Fante in commemoration of the sacrifice of Egya Ahor. History has it that the ancestors of the Fantes were afflicted with a very devastating epidemic which killed numerous indigenes.

 

To stop the mass killing by the deadly disease, the great gods of the Fantes had to be pacified with a human being after oracles had been consulted. One great man Egya Ahor, a royal, offered himself to be sacrificed. No sooner had Egya Ahor been sacrificed than the deadly epi­demic stopped.

First there is Ahorbaa Ketseaba (i.e small Ahorbaa). In much the same way as Christians celebrate Good Friday in memory of the cruci­fixion of Jesus Christ, Fantes includ­ing the people of Enyan Abaasa cel­ebrate Ahorbaa in memory of Egya Ahor's sacrifice in May/June and August every year.

 

Seven weeks after Ahorbaa Ket­seaba for the sacrifice, death and burial of Egya Ahor, the Eguadoto Festival is celebrated in turns in all Fante-speaking areas.

 

The Eguado­to festival is for the purification of Nananom stools. It marks the onset of fresh yams and the end of famine period. Until the Eguadoto festival is held it is a taboo for any enstooled chief to eat fresh yam in any form.

 

It is another seven weeks after the Eguadoto festival or fourteen weeks after Ahorbaa Ketseaba that the third important Ahorbaakese festi­val (i.e grand Ahorbaa) is observed in August/September. This marks the final funeral rites for Egya Ahor. It is also a period of environmental sanitation and cleanliness which is said to be next to godliness.

 

It is during the Ahorbaakese that all roads and paths leading to ancestral and sacred groves, shrines, sources of drinking water and surrounding towns and villages are cleared. In Fante language road or path clearing is "Akwambo".

 

After clearing each road or path the men process through the princi­pal streets of the town/village singing and chanting Asafo war songs. With time the Akwambo became the Akwambo festival which was and is not only the characteris­tic feature of the Ahorbaakese but also the climax of it.

 

Culture is said to be dynamic and a good example of that is the Abaasa Nsumko festival. About 55 years ago, with active involvement of the then Tufuhene, Asafo Cap­tains, Nananom and committed community elders during the reign of Nana Yanful Ababio II (alias Nana Sarkwa) of blessed memory, initiated the Nananom Nsumuko to climax the Aborbaakese Akwambo festival.

 

The main characteristic feature of the Nananom Nsumuko festival is the early morning performance of rituals by Nananom and Tufuhene at their ancestral sacred grove. This is followed immediately with the procession and parading of the chiefs, the Omanhene and the state Queen in beautifully decorated palanquins through the principal streets. Behind each palanquin is Fontomfrom, Mpintsin, Mbrusuen, Aprede or Obemba drumming singing, clapping and dancing.

 

The Tufuhene is followed by the two Asafo companies (Kyirem and Etsiwa) with their flag bearers. The procession is the beauty of the Nsumuko festival which can not be missed by visitors. The colourful procession ends at the community meeting ground for a grand durbar which climaxes the Akwambo festi­val.

 

This year's Akwambo and Nsumako Festival of Chiefs and people of the Enyan Abaasa traditional area have already begun and activities run until September 10.

 

By J. K. A. Yanney