Odau Traditional Council in Akyem Etwereso in Akyemansa District, Eastern Region is calling on government to support efforts in developing one of the region’s most culturally significant heritage sites the mystical River Kwaniakwa.
At a colourful traditional ceremony for the enstoolment of Nana Osei Afrifa , Chief Executive Officer of Afrifanom Group -a Pan-African IT firm , as Twafohene of the Odau Traditional Area with stool name Baffuor Osei Afrifa, the Odau Traditional Council appealed for government assistance to complete a canopy walkway project over river Kwaniakwa initiated by the previous government to enhance the site’s tourism potential.
For century, river Kwaniakwa,has been regard as a sacred water body believed to possess extraordinary spiritual powers, which attracts visitors far and near seeking divine interventions.
River Kwaniakwa has unique population of mystical catfish, regarded as sacred by the community.
According to oral tradition, these fish are not ordinary aquatic creatures — they are seen as spiritual entities that welcome human presence and accept food offerings and return blessings.
“We’ve witnessed over a hundred children born through the blessings of the river. These children are known for their remarkable beauty — many are very fair in complexion and considered special,” Daasebre Kwabi Ayebeahwe, Etweresohene and Odauhene narrated.
It is considered an abomination to catch or harm any of the fish, a custom that has been preserved for centuries. The community holds that any person who defies this taboo faces dire consequences.
“In 1945, someone killed one of the sacred fish and died mysteriously. Recently someone killed one of the fish and suffered serious health crisies.The river and the fish are spiritually connected to the soul of the community. Touch one, and it’s as though you’ve touched all of us,” The chief said.
Daasebre Kwabi Ayebeahwe cautioned against people who are skeptical about the mystical powers of fish in river Kwaniakwa ” Let them try it, and see what will happen. This is not just folklore — our ancestors have preserved this mystery for generations, and anyone who violates it does so at their own risk,”
The District Chief Executive for Akyemansa, Linda Ahenkorah, also assured of the Assembly’s commitment to supporting the tourism initiative
“As I said earlier on, it is my vision and a passion of mine to develop the district which Etwereso is also included and there is a tourism attraction centre which is called, the river Kwaniakwa which has a lot of catfish. Nobody is permitted to go and fish in it.You can’t go and catch the fish and come and cook it. They have the belief that when you do that you will die and because of that the people of Etwereso have adhered to it for so many years “. Said Hon. Linda Ahenkorah, DCE for Akyemansa
The DCE added ” we intend to make it better, make it more luxurious and make it more attractive for other people to come and come and see what we have in Etwereso here.Make it so nice that when people come here we can also generate some forms of income for the assembly and the town as well.So this is what we intend to do. It is the first phase and we want to come in and then take the second phase and then develop it how the chief and the townspeople want to do it”.
Baffuor Osei Afrifa , the newly installed Twafohene pledged his loyalty and promised to lead development initiatives within the area.
The enstoolment ceremony of Baffour Osei Afrifa attracted notable figures including Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, NPP 2024 Vice Presidential Candidate, Hon. Asenso Boakye, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Hon. Kofi Marfo, Hon. Akwasi Acquah, and Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour-Awuah who represented Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, 2024 Presidential Candidate of the NPP.
