By James Esuon
Agona Swedru (C/R), July 30, GNA – Tension is mounting in Agona Swedru as members of the Asafo company of the town have fiercely protested the chiefs and the 2025 Home Coming planning committee’s planed entryallned to enter a sacred forest on Wednesday, August 13, to perform some rituals.
According to the Asafo Company, they were protesting because Agona Swedru has no substantive chief after the demise of Nana Kobena Botwe II, and also that the impending Home Coming celebration was not a festival but a programme arranged to entertain the youth and unite the people, and no one opposed it.
Addressing a press conference at Swedru to register their displeasure, Nana Kojo Acquah II, Tufuhene of Agona Swedru cautioned that customs of the town did not allow the entry of the sacred forest to perform rituals without the inclusion of a substantive chief of the town.
The home coming celebration is scheduled to start on Friday, August 1 to Sunday August 17, 2025.
However, the Planning Committee had scheduled the said date to perform some rituals in the sacred forest.
But the Tufuhene warned that anyone who dared flout the directives given by the Asafo Company would be dealt with because it was not their custom or tradition to enter that forest without the chief of the town together with the Tufuhene and two others chiefs and the Asafo company.
According to him, it was only during the town’s annual festival that rituals were performed to pacify their ancestors and the gods.
Nana Acquah called on the Police and other Security agencies in and anround Agona Swedru to intervene as early as possible to prevent bloodshed and to allow peace and stability to prevail.
Nana Ama Adoma, Asafohemaa of Agona Swedru, said the Asafo members were not opposed to the home Coming celebration and reiterated calls on the Committee to stay away from rituals beyond their roles.
Nana Ama Adoma assured the youth of Swedru that members of the Asafo Company were strongly behind the Home Coming event and rallied support of all of all to make the celebration a success, adding that, customs and traditions should not be compromised during the programme.
She further explained that the sacred forest owned by four chiefs, should not be entered until the family of late Nana Kobena Botwe had installed a new chief.
Nana Ama Adoma also appealed to the Agona West Security Council and other traditional Leaders in and around Agona Swedru to act swiftly for peace to prevail and development thrive in the town.
Nana Kobena Abbam, Agona Swedru Asafo Baatan, said the planning committee asked them to submit their budget for the fencing of the sacred shrine on Thursday August 14 as part of the annual rituals performed by the Asafo group.
The Asafo Baatan said leaders of the group rejected that proposal because the Home Coming was just an event to entertain and bring citizens together and not part of their ancestors’ customs and traditions.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Christian Akorlie