Akwantukese

The great journey

The festival marks the great migration of the Juaben people and their allies from their ancestral homes in Asante to settle in the Eastern Region and found New Juaben, with Koforidua at its centre. The 2013 festival marked 135 years since that journey.²

Akwantukese was instituted by Daasebre Professor Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben, in the 1990s, to strengthen unity, encourage self-help development and teach the young the area’s origins.¹³

What happens

The festival runs for about a month and ends with a procession of chiefs and people through the main streets of Koforidua and a grand durbar. In 2013 the durbar was on 14 December at Jackson Park.² In 2019 it was on 23 November.¹

Good to know if you go

• Where: Koforidua is the capital of the Eastern Region, about 90 minutes north of Accra.
• Check the dates: the traditional council sets the days each year, often only weeks ahead. Local radio and the national press carry the announcement.
• Respect the rites: some rituals are sacred and not for cameras. Ask before photographing chiefs, priests or anyone taking part, and follow what the ushers ask.