The local gone international festival of the people of Elmina, Edina Bakatue Festival is back again and promises to be the very best in recent years.
Bakatue is a festival celebrated by the people of Elmina to mark the beginning of a fishing season for the community. ‘Bakatue’ means ‘opening up the Benya Lagoon into the sea. This is done yearly on the first Tuesday of July in the rainy season. Tuesday is seen as the day for the sea.
Fishermen therefore do not go to see on Tuesday. There is a net casting ceremony done by the people to symbolize the beginning of the new fishing season. There is lot of merry making after the durbar which is organized by the chiefs.
According to Nana Kwodwo Conduah IV, Paramount Chief of the area, the theme for this year’s festival is “Cleanliness”. He therefore called on the youth to leadthe clean-up exercise.
He indicated that even though Elmina is one of Ghana’s cleanest communities, the theme was chosen not only for the people of Elmina but the entire nation because the festival has effectively become a national event and therefore affect every Ghanaian.
In response to the call, the youth of the areaindicated their readiness to contribute to the occasion by presenting boxes of assorted drinks and water to Nana Kwodwo Condoah IV to be used for refreshing dignitaries and tourist from around the world who will grace the occasions.
The Paramount Chief of the area invited everyone from any corner of the world to come and have a feel of one of Africa’’s most colourful and biggest traditional festivals.
He noted that Elmina has a lot to offer the world by way of culture and therefore this year’s festival offers lovers of the diversity of the African culture and it uniqueness the opportunity to witness one of the very best the continent has got to offer.
He also assured that measure have been put in place security-wise to safeguard the safety of the many people expected to grace the occasion from every corner of the globe.
The area has some of the best hotels and tourist attraction centres in the country so visitors have no cause to worry about their accommodation and fun.
Elmina is a community in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region.
Central Regionis the region of choice for most tourists who visit Ghana.
Isaac Kyei Andoh
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