Culture

The Asante Akim South Municipal is made up people with a homogeneous culture. The people are mostly Akans with Ashanti origin with a predominant occupation of farming. The people have diverse cultures which accounts for their values and practices. The various cultures have strong linkages with the development of the district. Communal spirit is very high in most Communities, except for the few bigger communities. The Chiefs and the community leaders serve as the focal point for mobilizing the citizenry for development. The communities normally set aside one day in a week for communal work.

Traditional Set Up

The traditional authority is embedded in chieftaincy institutions. The positions, traditional status and sphere of influence of chiefs are much revered within the district. Traditional chiefs and queen mother’s rule the towns and villages. There are six (6) Traditional Councils at Asankare, Asuboa, Bompata, Gyadam, Obogu and Ofoase headed by Paramount Chiefs who together with several divisional and sub-chiefs exercise traditional authority.  There are independent chiefs who are not paramount but report to Asantehene directly.  There are other chiefs who also belong to Juaben, Kokofu, Kwahu, and Oda Paramountcies.

The traditional authorities collaborate with the unit committees to make decisions for the development of the various communities. Both parties jointly help in the implementation of projects through organization of communal labour and other support. The chiefs also serve as the custodians of the stool lands within the communities and are also involved in ensuring peace and order.

Religious Composition

In terms of religion, Christianity is the dominant religion in the district which constitutes 80.1% of the population. This is followed by Islam with 11.4%, people with people in the no religion zone have 7.0%, whiles the traditionalist have 1.0% and others specify having 0.5%.  Paganism and other religions persist in the district but are insignificant in numbers. With this, it can be deduced that, education on morals and other aspects of controlling population can be facilitated by leaders of these groups. The religious institutions also play important role in the development of the district. Among some of the contributions the religious bodies have made towards the development of the district include a number of Basic Schools, Clinic among others which are all over the district. The table below shows the population by religious composition and sex.

Ethnic Composition

With regards to ethnicity, the district to a large extend is homogeneous with the Ashantis who form 65 percent of the total population. Other Akans including the Akyems, Kwahus and Akwapims constitute 10 per cent, 4.7 percent and 5.5 percent respectively. There are other minority tribes such as those of Northern extraction, Ewes, gas and Krobos who constitute 14.8 percent.

Cultural Practices

The District is culturally rich with numerous festivals especially Kwadutown and Ogyeman festivals of Kyempo and Gyadam people. These occasions are used to take stock of the year’s activities and mobilize funds for development. The festival helps the new generation to learn about their culture, promote unity, helps to solve major disputes and as an opportunity to contribute towards developmental activities.

The negative cultural practices observed in some part of the district include early or forced marriages of teenage girls depriving such girls of Education and future survival. The Department of Culture has interacted with the various stakeholders as, Pastors, Queen -mothers, Opinion Leaders and Youth Association Leaders at Bompata, Juaso, Banka, Asankare and Obogu and other communities to create the awareness of some useful Cultural practices that are neglected and how these could be revisited.

Chieftaincy and Land Disputes

Juaso, the district capital is locked up in protracted chieftaincy dispute which has retarded the development of the town. There is also a land dispute involving Banka, Amantia, and Gyadam of the ownership of forest lands bordering Eastern Region. In view of this, the stool land revenue and timber royalties due the Assembly has been locked up in government vault denying the district of the needed funds for development.

Tourism Attractions

The District has a location advantage as being the “Gateway to Ashanti” from the national capital, Accra. Pra riverside at Nnadieso offers a unique site for the customary seeing-off and welcoming have Ashanti royals and visiting VIPs. The rocky outcrop, a historical cave at Gyadam together with the vast and rich forest reserves, the cocoa and oil palm plantations, the vegetated hills and the perennial rivers all offer  great potential for ecotourism. The District stands to benefit immensely in terms of employment and revenue generation if these sites are developed.

The District is culturally rich with numerous festivals which include the Kwadutwum festival of the chiefs and people of Kyempo celebrated in August annually.

In addition to local chop bars and drinking spots, there are 2 Guest houses in Juaso and Asante Akim Praso. However, this is not enough looking at the enormous tourism potentials in the district. Visitors to the District depend on hotels in Konongo. The District is therefore initiating programmes to market and promote tourism in the District  

The Asante Akim South Municipal has a lot of tourism and investment potentials, and when harnessed will improve the quality of life in the district. There is great potential for tourism in the Asante Akim south District as well. The four forest reserves, are Formangsu, Prakow, Domi River and Mirasa Hills, are important in this regard and the colourful Kwadutwum annual festival, celebrated at Kyempo, also holds immense appeal for culture-inclined tourists.

The other tourist potential includes the 25-kilometre stretch of stone deposits from Obogu to Ofoaso and the Pra River, which forms the boundary with the Eastern Region and incidentally can be used for irrigation purposes to enhance dry season vegetable cultivation. All these mean that as Ghana adopts a deliberate policy of opening up the hinterlands to trade and investment.

Ecotourism

The rock outcrop, a historical cave at Gyadam together with the vast and rich forest reserves, the cocoa and oil palm plantations, the vegetated hills and the perennial rivers all offer a great potential for ecotourism with the  with the effect of preserving the natural ecology and simultaneously earning incomes. The People, Hospitable and culturally rich people with numerous yam festivals especially the Kwadutum Festival of the chiefs and people of Kyempo celebrated in August annually. Available in the district is also a potentially large labour force and Government/Public institutions ready to contribute towards national development in a co¬operative, consultative and a co-ordinated manner as depicted by the Assembly’s Logo with the Motto: Tikoro Nnko Agyina meaning: Two Heads are Better than One.

Festivals

The District is culturally rich with numerous festivals which include the Kwadutwum festival of the chiefs and people of Kyempo celebrated in August annually.