On Saturday, September 7, 2024, in Victoria Park in Cape Coast, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate and vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, along with his running mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempreh, joined the Chiefs and people of Oguaa Traditional Area to celebrate the festival’s 60th anniversary.
The celebration, which has its origins in Fante customs, serves as both a joyful remembrance of Ghana’s shared history and a chance to celebrate our common identity.
The ceremony this year, which was attended by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, and other notable dignitaries, was especially noteworthy since it commemorated Osabarima Kwesi Atta II’s 25 years as the Oguaamanhene.Vice President Dr. Bawumia thanked the Chiefs, the Planning Committee, and the people of Cape Coast for the invitation in his speech. 
He referred to Cape Coast as the birthplace of Ghanaian history, a city that gave rise to important political, social, and cultural movements.
The Vice President underlined how crucial it is to safeguard Ghana’s rich cultural legacy for future generations. In addition to actively participating in the promotion and preservation of Ghana’s rich traditions, he exhorted the youth to take pride in their history.
Vice President Bawumia also used the occasion to discuss education, a topic that is important to Ghanaians in general, the government, and traditional leaders.
He emphasized the substantial sums of money the government has spent over the previous seven and a half years on all facets of education, from the elementary to the university levels.
He pointed out that secondary education is now accessible to all Ghanaian children, regardless of social level, thanks to the implementation of Free SHS in 2017. With gender parity in SHS participation, the initiative has considerably increased senior secondary enrollment, which went from 800,000 in 2017 to 1.4 million.
The Vice President also underlined the government’s dedication to funding programs that advance growth and enhance people’s quality of life. He encouraged the youth to participate actively in the political process and pleaded with parents and kids to take advantage of the Free SHS program.
The Vice President thanked the Oguaa Traditional Council and the people of Oguaaman for organizing and celebrating the Fetu Afahye so successfully thus far, capping off his speech. He gave the youth of Cape Coast and the Central Region the assurance that their commitment to community spirit would have the backing of the government.
Every year, the Fetu Afahye Festival unites the residents of Oguaa Traditional Area in an effort to foster cultural expression and a sense of community. The event this year served as a monument to the resilience of Ghana’s cultural legacy and the significance of safeguarding it for future generations.
