First National donate 5,000 cedis towards Edina Bakatue

By Saul Sebag-Montefiore  


First National Bank has donated 5,000 cedis to support Edina Bakatue festival that starts on the first Tuesday in July. 


The Paramount Chief Nana Kodwo Conduah Vi received the donation on behalf of the planning committee. He then made a strong statement when he wanted to make it very clear that he only exists to help his people and he violently refutes the accusations of the people who believe him to be partisan or politically minded. Nana Kodwo Conduah VI made it very clear that he wanted his people to know that they are his only preoccupation. 

Paramount Chief in discussion

He appealed to the banking community to be lenient with the fishing community when it comes to repayment of their credit facilities because the season for fishing is not all that lucrative.


 The paramount chief of Elmina expressed his gratitude to first national bank for the support of donating 5,000 cedis for the Edina Bakatue. 


The General Manager of First National Bank Charles Otoo, noted that the bank operates in most of the fishing communities and aims at assisting the livelihood of the fisherfolk.

Presentation of donation and gifts

Although the festival begins on the first Tuesday in July it reaches it’s climax on the following Saturday. It is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the town, Elmina by the Europeans and to evoke the deity, Nana Benya’s continuous protection of the state and its people. During the celebration, the Paramount Chief, his sub-chiefs, elders’ fetish priests and priestesses, and indeed the entire state make offerings of sacred food (eggs and mashed yam mixed with palm oil) to the river God and prey for peace. Fetish priests, priestesses and drummers take turns to perform their rituals. There is a thrilling performance of the spiritually possessed chief fetish priest as he responds to spiritual revelations. Following this there is a royal procession made up of extravagantly dressed chiefs and stool carriers, some riding beautifully decorated palanquins. After performing some rituals at the riverside, the chief priest casts his net three times and announces the lifting on the ban on fishing, drumming, funerals and other social activities in the traditional Elmina area. The lagoon is then officially ‘open’ and to conclude the event there is a spectacular ride on the lagoon by women resplendent in ‘Kente’ cloth and local festive headgears. The royal procession leads to the Chief’s palace amidst traditional music. The 5,000 cedis that were generously donated by First National will make a significant contribution towards the successful execution of this very important festival. 


The Edina Bakatue festival is a splendid spectacle that is rich with culture, pomp and drenched in tradition; it is a sight that everyone in Ghana should travel to see.