The King and Overlord of Gonja, His Majesty Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa (I) has successfully performed 2022 “Gbandawu” at the Jakpa Palace, Damongo, on Friday, 22nd July, 2022.
The Supreme Ruler of the Gonja Kingdom and his elders were led by the Kakulasewura and his people to performed the 2022 Gbandawu which has paved way for all the Paramount Chiefs and elders in the Gonja Kingdom to also perform “Gbandawu” at their respective Traditional Areas.
Gbandawu in Gonja generally stands for new yam festival which is one of the very paramount event in the culture and tradition of the Gonja Kingdom.
Per the customs and traditions of the Gonja Kingdom, no one eats or consume new yams before the King and Overlord of Gonja (Yagbonwura). The Supreme Ruler of the Kingdom will first of all taste new yam before the over 20 Paramount chiefs and their subjects can gain access to new yams.
This means that if the Yagbonwura, his Paramount Chiefs and the elders do not eat new yams, their subjects cannot also do same no matter the case or situation. If any Paramount Chief or Elder eats’ “Gbandawu” (New Yam) before His Majesty the Yagbonwura, that Paramount Chief or subject is punished severely. It is the same way the Paramount Chiefs will punish anyone who they see with or eating new yam before the paramount chief of the area.
Traditionally, Gbandawu means no one has the right to exposed new yams in any Gonja community if the chiefs of those communities have not perform “Gbandawu” (New Yam Festival).
From today 22nd July, 2022, Yagbonwura has open the curtains for the new yam festival across the Gonja Kingdom. It also gives farmers, market men and women the opportunity to be able to sell or bring new yams to the market to sell after the respective Paramount Chiefs in their jurisdictions go through the process of new yam festival.
By Iddrisu Adam Afuli – Jakpa Palace Damongo
