Asante culture prohibits bringing full palm nut fruit and tied firewood home? OTEC FM journalist explains

Kwame Agyenim Boateng,

A renowned cultural activist and journalist with OTEC FM, Kwame Agyenim Boateng, has shed light on why Asantes forbid people from bringing full palm nut fruit and tied firewood home.

 According to him, this cultural practice was instituted to protect and prolong human lives through good hygiene and environmental safeguarding.

Speaking on OTEC FM’s morning show Nyansapo, on Monday Mr. Boateng explained that the prohibition aims to prevent the killing of insects and other animals that may be hiding in the palm nut fruits or firewood.

“Most of these insects, reptiles, and other animals who hide in palm nut fruits and tied firewood are eventually killed when they are brought home, so our forebears thought it wise to implement measures to halt that,” he said.

Mr. Boateng further revealed that individuals who flout this directive are called to the palace to answer for their actions, and this cultural practice has been upheld to this day, with most communities in the Asante Kingdom still adhering to it.

“To do that, they decreed that nobody has the right to bring tied firewood and palm nut fruit home, they also added some punishment to this for effective implementation,” he added.

This rich Asante culture emphasizes the importance of protecting both human lives and the environment, showcasing the thoughtful and sustainable practices of the Asante people.

Source: Ghana/otecmfghana.com /Jacob Agyenim Boateng