Aboakyer Festival

Two asafo groups; Twifo and Dentsifo undergo a hunting expedition for a live antelope during the Aboakyer Festival. The first group to present its catch to the Chief is declared winner for that particular years festival and is highly regarded for bravery. The presentation is made at a colorful durbar. This festival is celeberated by the natives of Winneba. Winneba is about 17 miles west of Accra. The festival is usually celeberated in the month of May every year. Background The festival is a celebration to mark the migration of the Efutu people from the ancient Western Sudan Empire. They where led by two brothers and a god called Otu. Upon consultations with their oracle by their traditional priest, the god, instructed them to sacrifice a young member of the Royal family every year to their god. This was not good news so they made an appeal to their god who asked for a wild cat to be caught alive and beheaded before the god. Before the festival began they settled the god at a place called Penkye hence the god became Penkyi Otu. Soon they were losing a lot of lives during their hunting expeditions for a live catch. Through their priests they made second appea to their god. Penkyi Otu decided to accept a mature bushbuck this looks like a deer. This story has been preseved in song lyrics over the years by the people of Simpa until it could be written down.