Drama unfolded at the Fosu Lagoon last Tuesday during the celebration of this year’s Fetu Afahye Festival when the Asafo Companies which normally participate in the boat racing tournament or the regatta threatened to boycott the competition.
The decision of the 7 participating Asafo Companies to shun the competition, TODAY gathered, stemmed from the reason that the prices at stake for the winners were too small, and not rewarding and motivating enough, compared to what was given to them in previous years.
The scene at the Fosu Lagoon, the venue for the tournament, where the Ogua Traditional Council, dignitaries both foreign and the townsfolk had gathered was one of shame and disgrace when in the full glare of the people, the Asafo companies had declared that they will not be part of the competition.
For close to forty-five (45) minutes, both the local and foreign dignitaries at the Fosu Lagoon were disappointed when in fact there was nothing to indicate that the tournament would be coming off. And not even the huge patronage and the enthusiasm shown by the gathering could win the hearts of the competitors as they all stuck to their guns.
As a result of this, the rituals which were to be performed for the lifting of the ban on fishing in the Lagoon had to be delayed for almost 30 minutes. The paper learnt from the indigenes that such a thing has never happened in the history of the celebration of the festival.
Underground scouting by TODAY revealed that the boat racing teams could not fathom why the tournament which was sponsored by Mobile Telecommunications Network – MTN will give GHC100 to the winner, GHC80 to the second runners-up and GHC60 to the third runners-up.
“We were reliably informed by a member of the Fetu Afahye Planning Committee that MTN was sponsoring the entire tournament and had therefore put in place very attractive packages for the winners. Therefore it came to us as a surprise when the committee members unveiled these distasteful prices to us,” a member of one the participating teams hinted the paper.
TODAY gathered that it was later after the persuasion of the chiefs, who agreed to increase the price of the winner to GHC150, 100 to the second runner-up and the third runner-up GHC80.
Some of the boat racing teams who spoke to the paper on condition anonymity noted that they suspected that members of the Ogua Traditional Council had pocketed part of the total money allocated for the winners of the competition.
“We suspected foul play somewhere along the line and have ample reason to believe that members of the planning committee were not telling us the whole truth so far as the prices were concerned,” they indicated
Members of the Asafo Companies contended that they had never participated in any of the boat racing contest where the prices for the winning teams had been so dispiriting.
“Since the inception of the event the first three teams have always been handsomely rewarded, and it is somehow weird why this year has been an exception.”
Many of the townsfolk who spoke to TODAY registered their displeasure and described what happened at the Fosu Lagoon as “most unfortunate and must never be repeated.”
According to them, the festival was dying and losing its significance. This, they attributed to the fact that the Traditional Council was more interested in using the festival in making money instead of thinking of using it to promote the wellbeing of the people.
BY ATO KEELSON & MICHAEL KUNKE, CAPECOAST