Cape Coast, Sept. 2, GNA - Fetish priests and priestesses of the Oguaa Traditional Area, on Tuesday performed rituals to lift a month-long ban on fishing in the Fosu lagoon.

The lifting of the ban is to precede the celebration of this year's Fetu Afahye of the chiefs and people of the traditional area. The rituals included the pouring of libation at the banks of the lagoon, and the casting of the Omanhene's net three times into the lagoon, accompanied by the firing of musketry.

This was preceded by the pouring of libation at the Fosu shrine, and a procession of the priests and priestesses.

However, there was no catch this year when the Omanhene's net was cast into the lagoon and some of the people in the large crowd who had gathered to watch the ceremony, regarded it as a bad omen. The performance of the rituals was preceded by a regatta sponsored by Kasapreko Company Limited, in which three local 'Asafo' companies, Anaafo, Nkum and Bentsir, participated. During the first race, Nkum took the first position, Anaafo, second, and Bentsir third. Nkum emerged the winner again during the second race, Bentsir second and Anaafo, third, while at the end of the third race, Anaafo emerged the winner, Bentsir placed second, followed by Nkum.

The participating groups were each presented with GH A2100 and two cartons of Kasapreko Alomo Bitters. Nana Kwamena Nyimfa and Nana Akua Abokyie, Adontenhene and queen of the Oguaa Traditional Area respectively, and Nana Daesua, queen of Atti-Mokwaa, in the Twifo-Heman-lower Denkyira District, were among the dignitaries who witnessed the ceremony. The celebration of the festival will be climaxed with a grand durbar of chiefs at the Victoria (Jubilee) park on Saturday, September 6.