The Sirigu Traditional Area in the Kassena-Nankana West District has celebrated the maiden Azuko Festival, instituted in honour of Azuko, believed to be the founder and forebear of the area.
The celebration also marked the 10th anniversary of the enskinment of the Paramount Chief of Sirigu, Naba Atogumdeya Roland Akwara III, commemorating a decade of peace, unity and cultural renewal.
The colourful event, held at Sirigu, brought together chiefs, elders, women, youth, political actors, and sons and daughters of the area from home and abroad to reflect on the community’s journey from conflict to reconciliation and development.
Oral history recounts that during the era of territorial conquests, a man named Atalmiro migrated from Gambaga in the present-day North East Region to Zecco in Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta.
According to the history, Atalmiro had five children—four sons and a daughter—who later migrated and settled in various communities across present-day Ghana and Burkina Faso.
The first son, Adare, migrated from Zecco to establish his own lineage, whose descendants founded present-day Tungo and Yelewongo in Burkina Faso, as well as Yua in Ghana.
The second son, Akarigea, remained at Zecco, while the third son, Azuko, migrated to Sirigu, giving rise to present-day Sirigu. One of Azuko’s sons later settled in Sherigu in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
The fourth son, Adampoore, became the forebear of the people of Navrongo, the Nankan-speaking people, while Atalmiro’s only daughter, Anyelinga, married a man believed to have lived in the bush and gave birth to the ancestors of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso.
The Azuko Festival was therefore instituted to honour the founder, Azuko, and to celebrate togetherness after a decade of peace and unity following years of conflict that claimed lives and destroyed property.
Addressing the gathering, Naba Akwara III described the occasion as a “double milestone,” symbolising 10 years of shared progress and the birth of the Azuko Festival as a unifying cultural platform for the people of Azuko land.
“This event is not merely a ceremony; it is testimony that a community once divided by suspicion can now be held together by trust,” the Paramount Chief said.
He recalled that a decade ago the area stood at a crossroads marked by tension and uncertainty, but through dialogue, patience and sacrifice, the people chose peace over conflict and reconciliation over revenge.
According to him, the peace currently enjoyed in the area was deliberately built through the collective efforts of elders, women, youth and traditional authorities who worked tirelessly to foster understanding and fairness.
He explained that the Azuko Festival was born out of that peace and was intended to celebrate shared identity, values and traditions rather than any single clan or family.
“As we honour our founder, Azuko, we renew our commitment to the traditions of the Atambiru family and to the values that bind us together,” he said.
Naba Akwara III noted that the festival would serve as an annual platform to transmit cultural values such as respect for authority, care for the vulnerable, diligence and pride in heritage to younger generations through music, dance, storytelling and ceremony.
While celebrating the progress made, the Paramount Chief cautioned that unity and peace must be consciously sustained, stressing that development required discipline and collective responsibility.
He called on the youth to channel their energy into creativity and innovation rather than anger, urged women to continue serving as the moral backbone of the community, and appealed to elders to guide with wisdom free from past grievances.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader of Parliament, commended the chiefs and people of Sirigu for choosing peace over the past decade and urged them to sustain unity to drive inclusive and sustainable development.
The event was marked by traditional performances, rites and cultural displays, reflecting the community’s resolve to move forward united, confident and determined to build a just and prosperous homeland for future generations.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Audrey Dekalu
Dec. 31, 2025
Photo caption: BLG SOCIAL AZUKO FESTIVAL
