The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been invited as a Special Guest of Honour to the Adinkra Durbar of the Akwantu Kese Festival of the chiefs and people of the Suma Traditional Area in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
The event, which is scheduled for Friday, March 18, 2016, is the first of its kind and would be attended by His Majesty Nana Kwasi Adinkra Agyemang, the Gyamanhene of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as eminent traditional rulers in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.
Nana Addo's invitation letter was personally delivered by Odeneho Dr Affram Brempong III, the Omanhene of the Suma Traditional Area in the company of his divisional chiefs and queens.
Welcoming the Omanhene and his entourage to his office, Nana Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation for the invitation to be part of the prestigious festival. Present at the meeting was the Hon Freddie Blay, the Acting National Chairman of the NPP.
The chief's delegation comprised the Honourable Mr Siaka Stephen, Member of Parliament for the Jaman North Constituency, Nana Agyei-Kodie Anane-Agyei CEO of Abibrem Communications, events consultants to the Festival Committee as well a number of prominent citizens from the Suma Traditional Area.
According to Suma traditions, the ancestors of the area migrated from Akwamu during the 17th century and eventually settled at their present location in the Jaman North District. The Gyamanhene is officially known as the Bonohene in the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire was the overlord of all the Gyaman
States until the partitioning of Africa by the colonialists, this separated the Gyaman Kingdom into French and British Gyaman, with the Sumahene assuming the traditional roles of the former. Since that time this is the first time that all the Gyaman chiefs would meet under the headship of the Gyamanhene.
The Adinkra Durbar, to be held on Friday March 18, 2016 is one of two key points of the Akwantu Kese Festival. The other durbar would be held the following day, March 19, 2016 with His Excellency President Mahama as the Special Guest of Honour.
Prior to the Sumahene's visit to Nana Akufo-Addo, he had been to the Flagstaff House to officially invite His Excellency President John Mahama to the Grand Durbar as Special Guest of Honour. The Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah, who received the chief on behalf of President Mahama, described the Sumahene as a progressive leader and expressed the President's willingness to participate in the Akwantu Kese Festival, which he noted would promote sustainable development.
In an interaction with the media, Odeneho Affram Brempong III, noted that his decision to use the festival to bring together the leaders of Ghana's two leading political parties, the National Democratic Congress and the NPP was to foster tolerance and peace as the nation prepared for the 2016 general elections. “At the end of the day it is not about this or that party that won the elections that matter so much, what matters is whether the Ghanaian people are able to realise their aspirations as a people in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. It is our duty as traditional rulers therefore to help promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence for a sustainable national development,” he noted.
The Omanhene presented to Nana Addo, a copy of a book titled Ghana's Brong-Ahafo Region: The Story of an African Society in the Heart of the World, which gives detailed account of Brong-Ahafo Region in terms of history, geography, tourism and investment opportunities among other things.
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