The Okuapehene, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III, Paramount Chief of the Akuapem Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, has officially announced plans for the 200th anniversary of the Akuapem Odwira Festival, scheduled for September 2026.
The historic milestone celebration will be formally launched on March 5, 2026, at the Okuapehene’s Palace in Akropong-Akuapem.
The announcement ceremony was attended by members of the public, clergy, queenmothers, and the five divisional chiefs of Okuapeman – Kronti, Adonten, Gyase, Benkum and Nifa.
The Odwira Festival is a major annual cultural and spiritual event celebrated by the people of Akuapem and several other Akan communities in Ghana.
Addressing the gathering, Oseadeeyo Akuffo III explained that the festival represents purification, thanksgiving, honouring of ancestors, and a commemoration of the 1826 victory over the Ashanti army.
He noted that the 200th anniversary would provide “an opportunity to reflect on the journey, appreciate the present and look forward to the future.”
As part of preparations, an Odwira Secretariat has been established to coordinate activities. A seven-member committee has also been inaugurated to manage administrative work, maintain records and oversee the operations of the secretariat.
Oyeeman Osim Kwatia II, Gyasehene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, outlined a range of proposed activities for the celebration.
These include the establishment of a temporary Odwira museum, artistic reenactments of Odwira history and rituals, divisional cultural displays, fireworks, and a candlelight vigil.
Other planned events are public lectures across the various divisions, an Odwira quiz competition for schools, a historical presentation on Tetteh Quarshie and Ghana’s cocoa heritage, tree-planting and environmental initiatives, a forum on “Okuapeman and the Church: Historical and Cultural Reflections,” and the launch of an Akuapem Endowment Fund.
Rev. Isaac Yao Boamah, the palace chaplain, assured the clergy’s full support through prayers for a peaceful and successful anniversary celebration.
He added that several individuals had already pledged donations in cash and kind toward the successful organisation of the event.
Source: GNA
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