Revellers besiege Kwahu for Easter

Musah Yahaya Jafaru Apr - 02 - 2015 , 03:16

Thousands of Kwahus from all parts of the country and abroad will be embarking on a journey to their ancestral homes on the Kwahu Scarp in the Eastern Region to celebrate Easter.

The mass movement, which is often referred to as “Kwahu Pilgrimage”, also involves Ghanaians from all walks of life and foreigners who visit the area for merrymaking.

Long vehicular traffic, widespread marriage ceremonies, breath-taking sights of nature and elaborate entertainment are the major spectacles that characterise the Easter celebration in the Kwahu area.

And as expected, towns such as Atibie, Mpraeso, Nkwatia, Obo, Kwahu Tafo, Aduamoa, Nteso, Pepease, Abetifi and Obomeng, the nerve centres of the Easter celebrations, will be bustling with activities, especially entertainment programmes ranging from street jams to ballroom dancing and family get-togethers.

The religious side of the festivities will also manifest with church services and conventions by the Orthodox, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians.

The traditionalists will not be left out as palaces and ancestral homes will come alive with visitors participating in traditional rituals and paying homage to chiefs and traditional priests.

Paragliding

However, the most significant aspect of the festivities is the aerial display of paragliders who normally take off from the summit of Odwenanoma Mountains near Atibie and land at Nkawkaw.

The spectacular display of the paragliders from countries such as the United States, South Africa, Italy and neighbouring Togo and some Ghanaians as well, have put the country on the tourism map of the world and drawn a lot of foreign tourists to the mountainous area making it the most attractive tourism destination in the country.

Preparations

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said adequate preparations had been made to ensure that this year’s celebrations was a memorable one.

She said a planning committee was in place to address all possible challenges in relation to the events planned.

She said the festival would rekindle investor interest in the region as a whole, “leading to a positive impact on the economic fortunes of the area.”

Emmanuel Asamoah Addai reports that during a visit to the Odwenanoma Mountains, last Tuesday, the Tourism Minister expressed satisfaction at the level of enthusiasm towards the 2015 Kwahu Paragliding Festival.

Security

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare assured patrons of their safety during the paragliding festival and throughout the Easter celebrations, and indicated that the Ghana Police Service had agreed to deploy more personnel to the area to ensure law and order during the festivities.

She warned criminals with the intention of participating to cause chaos to re-consider their intentions as security would be tight to ensure the safety of all.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said pilots from the United States, Peru, France, Japan, Belgium and Switzerland had started arriving in the country and had been assessing the area and venue for the event.

She said the participating paragliders had expressed satisfaction and confidence that the event would be successful.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, stated that all was set for the festival and entreated all Ghanaians to get involved and make it a success.

He gave the assurance that patrons would be given the best of hospitality throughout the Easter period.

Vehicular traffic

Lorry stations throughout the country, especially those in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Kokoruda and Tema, where many Kwahus are engaged in all sorts of businesses, will be crowded with travellers.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said the Nkawkaw-Atibie road was in the process of rehabilitation for the convenience of tourists.

The main problem is the meandering road through the mountains with deep valleys which poses a challenge to first-time users of the road.

However, there are local drivers available at the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) office at the main Nkawkaw Lorry Park who could be hired to drive holiday makers from Nkawkaw to the towns on the scarp.