It was the best of Oguaaman welcoming the grace of Asanteman.

Royal umbrellas of all sizes, muskets and fontomfrom drums, graceful adowa dances and more, it was a royalty and tradition in all its splendour in the ancient historic city of Cape Coast, the city of firsts.

The Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II was joined at the weekend by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to ride in palanquins as part of the Fetu afahye procession.

It was the first time the Asantehene had joined the people of Cape Coast in his royal capacity.

Two royalties, two traditions and thousands of excited subjects from across Ghana and beyond lined the streets to cheer them on.

The Victoria Park welcomed a graceful blend of these two cultures; royalty in regal kente up high in colourful palanquins, graceful dances and golden ornaments as the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II joined Oguaamanhen, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II and his chiefs and queens in to process to the durbar grounds.

Several other Oguaa chiefs also rode in palanquins into spontaneously ecstatic crowds.

This year's Fetu afahye celebrated on the theme, “Celebrating the City of Firsts: Our People, Our Culture,” was all it promised patrons and more.

Crowds trooped to the ancient historic city of Cape Coast stretching it to its elastic wits.

The Fetu afahye this year was the biggest considering the numbers and the dignitaries that graced one of Ghana's most celebrated festivals.

And unsurprisingly so, considering it was the 60th anniversary of the reintroduction of the festival after colonial masters had stopped its celebration. 

The festival also marked activities climaxing the celebration of Osabarimba Atta's 25th anniversary as paramount chief of Oguaa.

The crowds were ecstatic. The excitement was palpable.

It was the Oguaaman chiefs led by the seven Asafo companies that first processed to the durbar to sit and welcome the guest, the Asantehene and his retinue of chiefs.

Other chiefs from the Central region and other parts of the country, including, the President of the Central regional house of chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII was also present.

Indeed the historic city of Cape Coast, nicknamed the city of first was painted with colour and royalty.

From a bird's view it was a sea of chiefly umbrellas and regal royalty.

It looked like all of Ghana was in Cape Coast.

The streets are jammed and security was tight as it was apt as a fully packed Victoria Park awaited the arrival of the procession of chiefs.

The festival was attended by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his 2024 running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and other leading members of the New Patriotic Party.

Also present was a delegation from the National Democratic Congress led by its running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.

The leader of the New Force Movement and independent presidential aspirant, Nana Kwame Bediako was also present.

Also present was the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson.

The planning committee led by Mrs Charlotte Osei, the former Electoral Commissioner who is also a Safohen of the Nkum number one Asafo company did a great job ensuring that the right people were in the right places to bring relative order and received loads of commendation from dignitaries and patrons.

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, speaking through a linguist, congratulated to Oguaamanhen, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, on the occasion climaxing his year long silver jubilee celebrations.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II praised Osabarimba for his humility, a trait he said he had observed since their first encounter and urged the Oguaamanhen to maintain this modest demeanor, emphasizing that it was a mark of true leadership.

He expressed his unwavering support and commitment to continue praying for Osabarimba, as he has done over the years.

He highlighted the role of the people in the development and success of a community and appealed to indigenes both in and outside Cape Coast to work together with leadership with love and dedication, stressing that it is the collective effort of the citizens that would bring prosperity to Oguaaman.

He further underscored the historical significance of Cape Coast, reminding the people that it was the first city in Ghana where many foundational institutions were established. 

He mentioned education, business, and the cotton industry, which contributed to cloth-making, as some of the legacies that started in the city. 

Otumfuo, therefore appealed to the people to continue building on these foundations, ensuring that Cape Coast maintained its historical relevance and influence.

As a gesture of his commitment to education, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made a generous donation of GH¢500,000 to support the Osabarimba Educational fund to promote educational initiatives in the Oguaa Traditional Area. 

He explained that the donation was specifically targeted at helping needy calling on others to contribute towards the betterment of the education in Cape Coast and the region.

He prayed for long life and prosperity for Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, his queen mother chiefs invoking blessings for their continued leadership and service to the people.

In response, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II expressed deep gratitude for

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s kind words and generous support. 

He pledged to make the best use of the financial donation, promising to provide periodic reports on the progress of the investment. "Thank you very much for your benevolence, and I promise to give you a periodic report," he said.

Osabarimba Atta called for continued collaborations and partnerships between himself and Asantehene for the progress of their people and communities.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on his part said Cape Coast was not merely a location; "it is the cradle of our history, a city that has given birth to significant cultural, educational, and political movements in Ghana.

"As the first capital of the Gold Coast, it has been a centre for trade, education, and cultural exchange. The Fetu Afahye Festival, which has its roots in the traditions of the Fante people, serves as a vibrant reminder of our collective past and an opportunity to celebrate our shared identity," he added.

He commended the traditional council and the people of Cape Coast for their dedication to promoting Ghanaian culture and heritage.

Dr Bawumia urged the youth, to take pride in their heritage and actively participate in preserving and promoting our rich traditions stressing they had a critical role as the torchbearers of our culture and the architects of our future. 

He donated GH¢200,000 to the council.