The Shai Traditional Council has announced that this year’s Ngmayem Festival will be dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability, with a special focus on protecting the endangered Dodowa Forest Reserve. The festival, which holds deep cultural significance, will emphasize the urgent need to safeguard this historically important forest from further encroachment.
The Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) recently designated the Dodowa Forest, located in the Shai Osudoku District, as a security zone following concerns raised by the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (GARHC) over ongoing encroachment and destruction. The Dodowa Forest, home to the Tsenku Waterfall and the site of the historic Kantamanso War of 1826, has seen significant portions lost to estate development and other human activities.
In response to the encroachment, REGSEC and the Forestry Commission have taken action by demolishing unauthorized structures within the reserve. At the launch of this year’s Ngmayem Festival, themed “Promoting Environmental Sustainability through our Cultural Heritage,” Okukurubuor Tei Kwasi Agyemang V, chairman of the festival planning committee, reaffirmed the council’s dedication to preserving the forest.
“There is a saying that when the last tree dies, the last man dies. The environment depends mainly on the trees and the nature underneath, so we are encouraging everybody to protect the environment, especially through tree planting. We want to do this through our culture and heritage. We spoke about the degradation of the Dodowa Forest. We have a larger reserve with many species, but it is under threat,” said Okukurubuor Tei Kwasi Agyemang V.
Nene Tetteh Huadji VI of Apetetsi also announced that the traditional council would spearhead a large-scale tree-planting initiative aimed at rejuvenating the forest’s vegetation. He hinted at implementing a master site plan to address encroachments and resolve disputes among families claiming portions of land around the forest, thereby restoring the integrity of the reserve.
This year’s Ngmayem Festival will begin on September 23 in the Manya Jorpanya community and will culminate on October 21 in Kordiebe. Leading up to the festival, a ban on noise-making will be enforced across the Shai Traditional Area from September 10 to October 14. Mankralo Tetteh Wayo III of the Shai Traditional Council noted that a task force led by traditional priests and priestesses would enforce the ban, though some flexibility will be allowed for political activities due to the ongoing campaigns ahead of the December 7 elections.
The Ngmayem Festival, named after the millet grain (ngma), holds deep cultural significance for the Krobo people. During a seven-year drought that left the ancestors of the tribe with little to eat, millet became their primary sustenance until the rains returned, resulting in a bountiful harvest in 1892. The festival was first celebrated in 1959 after the people migrated from the Shai Hills.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
