Cape Coast, June 14, GNA - The Oguaa Traditional Council at the weekend launched the annual historic "Fetu Afahye", festival of the chiefs and people in Cape Coast.

Osabarimba Nana Kwesi Atta II, Omanhene of Oguaa Traditional Area, said this year's festival looked forward to the active participation of the various religious groups in the area.

The festival which will be celebrated on the theme: "The convergence between religious organisations and tradition," would begin on Tuesday, August 4, with the imposition of a ban on drumming and noise making and fishing in the Fosu Lagoon.

Other activities lined up for the celebration include a choral concert, masquerading competition, HIV/AIDS awareness day, regatta and women's day, which involves health screening and talks for women. There would be a grand durbar to climax the week-long festival on Saturday, September 5.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta explained that most people consider the festival to be in contradiction with their religious beliefs and therefore alienate themselves from the commemoration. He urged the revellers to abstain from practices that would impede the success of the event.

The Very Rev. Dr. Victor Atta-Baffoe, Dean of the St. Nicholas Anglican Seminary, said in a keynote, that the traditional religion served the same purpose as Christianity and Islam and expressed regret that Christianity and civilization had distorted the perception people had about festivals.

He advised the youth to abstain from pre-marital sex and rather use the festival as an opportunity to learn more about their traditions to enable them to hand over the story down to the next generation. 14 June 09