Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II
The Regent of the Nungua Mankralo Black Stool, Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II and the people of Nungua celebrated this year’s Yam ‘Yeleyeli’ Festival last Wednesday in a splendid mood.
According to Nii Frankwa II, the new yam festival is in honour of the Nungua Mankralo Black Stool and also as a precursor to a grand one to be held at Oyibi to mark the end of the annual Homowo festival of the Gadangme people.
Nii Frankwa II also explained that this festival is also to make way for his stool, ‘the Okanshan’ to first taste the new yam before the entire the Nungua community have a taste.
During this process, libation is poured and a holy water bath is prepared with selected herbs and this usually done ahead of the sprinkling of the mashed yam which is the sole responsibility of Nii Frankwa II.
The Sprinkling of the yam is usually done in notable places that are; clan houses, royal places and should be performed by Mankralo ‘Shuonotalo’ but due to old age coupled with ill-health saw Nii Frankwa II perform the rites.
During the rites performance, Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II who doubles as the Oyibi Gonyitten Mantse was hailed by both men and women of various clans which included Dzenge We sang the traditional pintim songs, war songs just to energize the sprinkling of the ‘Yele Otor’ which eventually came to an end the Royal Mausoleum or Amanprobi.
Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II once again took over the palanquin ahead of the substantive Mankralo Oblempong Numma Alabi Dzenge who also failed due to ill health
Before Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II’s palanquin ride the Nungua Mankralo prayed for a safe ride and blessed well wishers and cursed evil thinkers.
During the palanquin ride through the principal streets of Nungua, Frankwa II was joined by reincarnated queen mother of Dzenge We Naa Oklono.
And for the first time in the history of the celebrations other priestesses joined the procession which finally landed at the forecourt of the Gborbu groove and were welcomed by Wulomo Shitse, Overlord of the Gadangme state.
Meanwhile, speaking to the crowd, the Dzenge We Seitse, Nii Borlabi Sam Prempeh, indicated that the ten days festival is important as it climaxes the Homowo festival of the entire Gadangme state and that the Mankralo will soon join the Oyibi Mantse for the Oyibi ‘Yeleyeli’ which climaxes the entire Gadangme festivals.
Nungua Makralo,Oblempong Nunma Nii Alabi Dzenge VI called on Christians’ and members of other religious sects to stop the bad publicity against customs and traditions.
“This is what makes us people. This is what we are identified with. It is not fetish as the Christians, in particular teach their people .We knew God before Christianity came to being “, Oblempong Nunma told the crowd.
The Regent of the Nungua Mankralo Stool Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II also added his voice against the tagging of the African Traditional Religion as fetish but rather the opposite.
“The African has been urged to uphold his culture heritage to attain development .The Reverence and reliance on foreign cultures, products and languages is the bane of the African continent,” Nii Frankwa II said,
