Offinsoman celebrates 2018 Mmoaninko festival
The chiefs and people of Offinso in the Ashanti Region on Saturday celebrated the 2018 edition of the "Mmoaninko" festival, which is a commemoration of the historical event that culminated in the people of Offinso acquiring their present land.
"Mmoaninko" was said to have come about when Nana Wiafe Akenten I asked the then Asantehene Nana Osei Tutu I, to provide him with "Mmoaninko" (land) after the victory of the Asantes in their second war with the people of Dormaa in the Brong Ahafo region.
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The people of Offinso were said to have played a remarkable role in that victory. Nana Wiafe Akenten I, the then Offinsohene, in response to an offer by Nana Osei Tutu I to choose whatever he (the Offinsohene) wanted as a reward for the great contribution of the gallant and indomitable Offinso army to the victory over the people of Dormaa, wisely chose "Mmoaninko", which he interpreted as land.
In choosing that he explained that he could have chosen a war title, women as wives, or gold ornaments which would have exclusively be to his advantage or to the advantage of his immediate relatives, rather he asked the then Asantehene for a permanent reward that would be a legacy for all his subjects including those yet unborn.
Genesis of festival
In November 1995, the present Offinsohene, Nana Wiafe Akenten III, and his elders instituted the festival to replace the “Mangyina” festival, to bring into focus the wisdom, bravery and military genius of the ancestors of the Offinsoman.
To the people of Offinso, the offer of a land by the Asantehene had remained the most cherished reward and they always pride themselves with their heritage of forest lands and water bodies which have provided them with the prosperous livelihood.
The Mmoaninko festival for the past 23 years has been bringing together all citizens of Offinsoman,
2018 festival
Graphic Online’s Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Daniel Kenu reported that hundreds of people from all walks of life, mainly those from
Traditional rulers, politicians and the people relived the rich Ashanti cultural on Saturday through music and dance as Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Offinsohene sat in a palanquin to receive messages of goodwill.
Daniel
Mr Bonsu, a former chief executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly rallied the youth to briefly interrupt the festival programme.
With a banner, "ready to serve", heralding his coming, there were spontaneous applauds in a charged atmosphere of music and dance.
With intermittent cheers of "
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