During ceremonies to kick off the Odambea Festival of the People of Nkusukum Traditional Area on Friday afternoon, Ato Kyinam, a young man thought to be in his early 30s, was shot and killed by an unidentified assailant in Mankessim.
With Yamoransa serving as its headquarters, the Odambea festival spans 20 communities, including Biriwa, Anomabo, Kromantsir, and Saltpond.
However, the beauty of the celebration, which had not been fully enjoyed by all of its people for many years, had been tarnished by protracted chieftaincy disputes in the area.
The Chiefs and People of Yamoransa, under the leadership of Okogyeman Okese Essandoh IX, Omanhen of Nkusukum Traditional Area, relaunched it in Yamoransa sometime in July of this year. A five-member planning committee was established to organize the celebration of its 50th anniversary the following year.
The event also saw the unveiling of a unique emblem that included a large Eagle that brought the Nkusukum people from Tekyiman to their current site.
Witnesses to the Friday event claimed that a group of individuals involved in chieftaincy lawsuits blocked parts of the road during the procession as they passed through the Mankessim township with a bull to start the festival’s ceremonies.
They said that this led to an argument that turned violent, which ultimately led to the victim’s untimely death.
When the GNA attempted to inquire about the event, the witnesses remained silent despite acknowledging that police were on the scene.
