Tuafo Fida

This is a special festival for the Tuafo Asafo company. It is celebrated on the second Friday (Fida) after the Akomase festival and hence Tuafo Fida (or Tuafo Friday).

It is celebrated for the deity Abahum Aba which is kept at Ekuano (Eku shrine) in July annually. On the due date, the Asafo men depart with this deity to the River Ayensu at dawn to consecrate it. It is beautifully decorated and placed in an open brass tray.

On the due date, the Asafo men depart with this deity to the River Ayensu at dawn to consecrate it. It is beautifully decorated and placed in an open brass tray.

Two separate drums also considered as sacred form part of the procession. These are Kwesi Dadze that follows the dolls directly and Akomfor Odum. These are both sets of three drums each. The route is along the beach from Ayensuano (Ayensu estuary) till they reach the point where Osaka stream enters the sea (but is today a large concrete drain).

Further musketry is fired before diverting along the Osakam road. The route used to pass through the Zion Street but as the town has expanded, they now go further behind the Catholic chapel. The procession uses the Victoria Road down to Ekuano where further musketry is fired and libation poured. They finally end at Manso ano. At this point several salvos of musketry are fired, drinking and drumming and dancing continue unabated.

Tuafo Fida
The beauty of the celebration is in the way the salvos come, their costume and drumming and singing of asafo war songs.

At sundown, the Kwesi Dadze drums are sent to their base at Ndadze ano but the Akomfor Odum remains at Manso ano. In the middle of the night, Abahum Aba is sent back to Ekuano. This marks the end of Tuafo Fida celebration.