Bonwire disassociates itself from "Kentefest"

Bonwire (Ash), Feb 15, GNA -- The chiefs and people of Bonwire in the Ejisu-Juaben District of Ashanti have disassociated themselves from the ongoing 93Kentefest", which is being held at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum Park in Accra.

According to them, they are not part of the organisers, neither were they involved in the planning and execution of the festival.

Addressing a news conference at Bonwire on Tuesday, Nana Addae Yeboah, Bonwire Kentehene, said the chiefs and elders of Bonwire, who were the traditional custodians of the Bonwire Kente, had not been consulted by the organisers.

"We the people of Bonwire, who have been recognised as traditional custodians of Bonwire kente in the country, wish it to be known that, we have no knowledge about the said festival underway in Accra".

He said what the people did not understand was the use of Kente fliers designed from Bonwire without official permission.

The organisers, according to Nana Yeboah had also made pronouncements in their advertisement to the effect that, they were going to give the history of some prestigious kente designs such as "Fathia Fata Nkrumah", "Adwene Asa", "Adwenie si Adwenie so" and others, which were first designed by weavers from Bonwire.

He said it was unfortunate that people who did not know anything about Kente would organise Kente festival to educate the public on its history without consulting the very people who brought it.

Nana Yeboah, however, said the chiefs and people were ready to support any initiative that sought to develop the Kente industry through its history in the country, if appropriate steps were followed. Nana Bobie Ansah II, Chief of Bonwire, said the motive for the festival might be good, but the appropriate channels were not used in organising it.

He explained that, traditionally, if anybody wanted to celebrate any Kente festival, the person must first seek permission from the Asantehene, before it could be done.

Nana Ansah said as part of the Ghana's 50th anniversary celebrations, prices of Bonwire Kente had been reduced by 50 per cent to enable interested people to buy them.