December 19, 2025
Celebration of Bulsa Fiok/Feok 2025 in Sandema
The highlight of the 3-day Fiok/Feok 2025 Festival was celebrated on Friday, December 19, 2025, at the Durbar grounds in Sandema. In attendance were the chiefs, subchiefs, and queen mothers of the Bulsa Traditional area, the members of parliament for South and North Bulsa, Hon. Dr. Clement Apaak and Hon. James Agalga, respectively, as well as the North Bulsa Municipal Chief Executive, Hon.Solomon Akogti, and his South Bulsa counterpart, Hon. Anne Musah. The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, represented His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, who had been announced as the guest of honour at the launch of the Festival in Fumbisi a week earlier but couldn’t attend due to pressing commitments.
The Paramount Chief of the Bulsa Traditional Area, Sandem-Nab Azagsuk Azantilow II, in a speech eloquently delivered on his behalf by the Chief of Kadema, Kadem-Nab Amos Adangabe, welcomed attendees with a summary of Fiok/Feok’s significance and urged the government to address key concerns of the people of Bulsaland. These included the provision of an Agricultural Institute in South Bulsa, where Bulsaland boasts several fertile rice-growing valleys in Fumbisi, Wiesi, and Gbedembilsi in particular, and upgrading infrastructural and logistical facilities in health and education in both North and South Bulsa. Above all, he re-echoed the wish and demand of the people of Bulsa for a good asphalted main road from Chulchulga through Sandema, Wiaga, Gbedema, Fumbisi to Wiesi and Gbedembilsi, as well as good roads connecting all 13 Bulsa towns. The importance of a good road needs to be emphasized, as it will not only increase rice production in the fertile valleys of Fumbisi (the home of Masim Rice Mill), Wiesi, and Gbedembilsi, but also boost commercial activities in Bulsaland. It will offer numerous employment and empowerment opportunities for the youth. It’s needless to mention the safety concerns for both humans and vehicles using that road, especially on Fumbisi market days.
In their speeches, Hon. Agalga assured the gathering that upgrading the road before the end of the four-year legislative period in 2028 is a done deal, as it’s captured in the NDC government’s BIG PUSH roads agenda.
Hon. Dr. Apaak announced plans to establish an agricultural college and a farmers’ Service centre in Bulsa South. In addition, he promised to staff all schools in North and South Bulsa with teachers and to add infrastructural facilities, including a dining hall, boarding facilities, and dormitories, at Kanjarga Senior Secondary School.
According to the MP, several GETFUND projects will also be rolled out across Buluk. Much as these assurances sound pleasing to the ear, politicians’ words must always be taken with more than a pinch of salt, as we’ve heard these promises, especially about upgrading the road, several times over the years. Nonetheless, we remain hopeful that Bulsaland will also get the kind of asphalted roads that other areas in the Upper East Region, e.g., Navrongo, Bolga, and Bongo, are already benefiting from.
Eric Spencer Alang-yeka Anadem, an educationist and social commentator, dives deeper and has the following to say:
“On 19th December 2025, we celebrated the 2025 Feok Festival. Feok is a historic festival that commemorates the victory of Bulsa warriors over slave raiders in the early 1800s.
I had stopped attending the festival for some time, but I participated this year. Unfortunately, I feel the festival is gradually losing its significance, based on several observations. One primary concern is the increasing political influence on the festival. Lengthy political speeches during the celebrations detract from the cultural and historical essence of Feok and affect the overall experience.
There is a clear need for stronger planning and organization. Planning committees should be constituted well in advance, with well-defined roles and timelines. Preparations should begin immediately after each festival, supported by improved publicity and sustained media engagement throughout the year. The right people must be appointed to the right roles, and expert advice from cultural historians, event planners, and creative professionals should be actively sought and implemented.
Additional suggestions include:
• Reducing political content and prioritizing cultural, historical, and educational activities.
• Introducing creative elements such as storytelling sessions, historical reenactments, exhibitions, and youth-focused cultural programs.
• Strengthening partnerships with media houses, tourism bodies, and cultural institutions to increase visibility and attract visitors.
• Creating opportunities for community involvement, including volunteers, schools, and local artisans.
• Establishing a monitoring and evaluation system to assess each festival and guide improvements.
Based on these observations, I would rate the 2025 Feok planning and organization at 5 out of 10. I believe we can do much better. The following Feok planning committee should ideally be inaugurated on the final day of the current festival and officially mandated to begin work immediately.
If the festival continues to follow the same routine, it risks becoming repetitive and less engaging. Feok is arguably the largest and most significant festival in the Upper East Region. With innovation, creativity, and effective coordination, it can be preserved and elevated to its full potential.”
Valeria Abakisi, a social commentator and Bulsa South project manager of AfriKids, laments the passive involvement of women in the festival. She questions the establishment of queen mother positions, given that they are mostly relegated to the background rather than serving as a driving force for proactive women’s roles in development.
