The chiefs of Effutu Traditional Area have banned the display of political party colours from this year’s Aboakyir Festival.

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“Our festival is purely a traditional customary event and we will humbly appeal to all those who wear political colours to stay out of it. We are crying for peace and development not selfish individuals who would want to use the festival to amass wealth and leave the town in an impoverished state,” Neenyi Bonzie Asiedu, the Abusuapanin of the Otuano royal family said at a press briefing.

Clashes between supporters of two of Ghana’s major political parties – the governing New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress- are fairly common at large outdoor events such as festivals.

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What is the Aboakyir Festival?

The Aboakyir Festival is an annual celebration of the Effutu people whose major town is Winneba. Aboakyir translates as ‘animal catch’. Groups of youth in the community go into the forest and stay there until they catch a live deer. The deer is used to appease the local deity Penkye Otu.

The festival is a major tourist attraction to the Central Region each year.

This year’s festival is scheduled for May 6.