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Oguaa goes gay with Fetu Afahye
The ancient city of Cape Coast, one of Ghana’s historical cities, witnessed a showcase of the rich cultural heritage of the Oguaa people with an exciting, colourful, and traditional event to mark the celebration of the 61st annual Fetu Afahye.
Themed “Innovate to elevate: Harnessing the creative economy for sustainable growth”, the festival featured a vibrant lineup of events, interspersed with several cultural performances showcasing the traditions which depict the traditional, historical and ancestral heritage of the land.
It witnessed a colourful procession of chiefs and various Asafo companies from the Mfantsipim School junction through the principal streets of the town to the Jubilee Park, accompanied by drumming and traditional dances.
The chiefs and members of the asafo companies were adorned in regal attire symbolising the pride and unity of the community.
Fetu Afahye demonstrates Oguaa’s resilience, unity, and cultural pride as the town welcomed indigenes both within and outside, as well as people from far and near, desirous of participating in the festival.
Various public spaces, including eateries and pubs, attracted patrons, and streets within the town witnessed bustling events with music blaring from the loudspeakers that had been placed by the roadside.
Bakatue
Prior to the durbar was the Bakatue regatta, a canoe race on the Fosu Lagoon, organised by ATL, a campus-based radio station located within the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in collaboration with the Oguaa Traditional Council.
The event saw a thrilling spectacle as the three Asafo companies, Nkum No. 4, Bentsir No. 1, and Anaafo No. 2, battled aggressively on the Fosu Lagoon. Nkum No. 4 earned nine points to clinch the trophy, medals, and a cash prize. They were followed by Anaafo No. 2 with five points, while Bentsir No. 1 finished third with four points.
Orange Friday
Friday witnessed what has come to be known as the biggest street carnival in Ghana, known as ‘Orange Friday.’
It drew hundreds of people across the country. Clad in orange attires, the patrons gathered and moved through the streets of the town, creating a gridlock.
The Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osaberimba Kwesi Atta II, at the durbar of chiefs to climax the festival acknowledged the unifying factor in relation to culture among Africans and stated the need for Africans to take their destinies into their own hands.
He explained that festivals such as Fetu Afahye offer an opportunity for Africans to remind themselves of the future by working hard and embrace the future in order not to be taken by events.
The Vice President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, in a speech read on her behalf, noted that the festival was far more than a ritual or an annual duty, saying, “It is an affirmation of an identity, a homecoming and a powerful testimony to the wisdom and fortitude of our forebears”.
In his remarks, the Special Guest of Honour, the Olu of Warri State in Nigeria, Ogiame Atuwatse III, indicated that, the only thing holding Africans back was Africans themselves, which he said, was in the area of an African identity, and acting on that identity.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
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The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Senior Correctional Centre (SCC) has initiated a lecture session to broaden the horizon of level 400 students at the Social Work Department of the University of Ghana (UG).
The initiative is under the auspices of the Counselling Unit and OIC of the Station, in consultation with the University.
The inaugural lecture delved into education of Social Work students about the role of Ghana Prisons Service and its core mandates, while emphasising the need for counseling as a psychological intervention for inmates mental health and well-being.
It also gave clearer insights about what was required of them in contributing their quota to creating awareness about the Service’s reformational agenda.
The session forms part of the ‘Think Prisons 360 degrees’ initiative, a collaborative efforts of the SCC Counseling Unit to conscientise the final year students of their roles as future social workers.
ASP Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah, a Public Relation Personnel highlighted on the core roles of the Service which include the welfare of inmates, safe custody of inmates, reformation and rehabilitation of inmates, respectively.
Discussing the ‘Think Prisons 360 degree’ agenda birthed by the Director General of the service, DGP Patience Baffoe-Bonnie Esq, Mr Ankrah enumerated the five core pillars of the initiative which include welfare of inmates and staff, agriculture mechanisation, industrialisation, wealth creation and strategic relations.
DSP Belinda Adjei-Attah, Head of SCC Counselling Unit schooled the final year students about the role of counseling as a pivotal reformational tool in the service with the tendency to enhance inmates’ psychological needs.
DSP Adjei-Attah further highlighted how Prison Officers and social workers could work together to reduce recidivism.
DSP Eugene Ansu Ohene-Tutu, a Counseling Personnel at SCC further elaborated on the role of social workers in aiding psychosocial interventions, expanding support systems and bringing in-house psychiatrists to help circumnavigate inmates’ mental health.
Dr Abena Oforiwa Ampomah, Lecturer at the Department commended the Senior Officers for their time with the final year students and commended the Officer-In-Charge of SCC, DDP Yayra Ashong Mettle, for releasing the officers to make such a memorable lecture.
By Spectator Reporter
