By Bernice Bessey
The Palace of the Ga Mantse has announced a total ban on noise making, from May 11-June 11, this year, to mark the annual Homowo celebration. This time round, the Palace says it is going to deal harshly with people who don’t comply with the directive.
The Otublohum Mantse and Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II, pleaded with residents to honour this directive, and “the general public must bear with us patiently with this aspect of the Ga Dangme culture, and refrain from drumming and noise-making.” Speaking at a press conference yesterday, he said the Palace collaborated with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Ghana Police Service to ensure residents of Accra and its environs observe the age-long traditional practice.
“A task force has been constituted to work in collaboration with the AMA and the Police Service to monitor and enforce the ban of noise-making in the Ga Traditional Area,” he said. He added that families would not be allowed to lay their deceased in state during the period, adding, “We will not tolerate any abomination during the ban of noise-making.”
Nii Dodoo Nsaki II with the support of some elders of the council has issued a stern warning to churches, mosques, and other religious bodies not to flout the directive, but respect it. “The general Christian community and traditional authorities must show respect for one another during the period. The recalcitrant smaller ones are advised to take a cue from the major ones, and corporate with the Ga people,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, the Sowutuom Mantse, Nii Osabu Akwei I, has also called on the Ga State to form a common front for the selection of a legitimate Paramount Chief who would lead the course of their heritage, beliefs, norms and progress. According to him, chieftaincy disputes, over the years, had destroyed the beautiful fabric of the Ga traditions, and, as a result, some settlers among them don’t regard or respect the stool’s authority, especially, the ban on drumming and noise-making.
Nii Osabu Akwei I noted that if pragmatic measures are not put in place to arrest chieftaincy disagreements, the rest of the nation would suffer the consequences in case of any uproar. He believed that lack of commitment on the part of Gas to select a recognised Paramount Chief was the reason for the high tendency of indiscipline, poor sanitation, crime, deviant behaviours, and other social vices.
“All these are happening because we don’t have a proper head. The Paramount Chief owes it a duty to assist the various assemblies to carry out their day-to-day activities in ensuring law and order,” Nii Osabu Akwei I said. The Chief made the call in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle after attending the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and Ga Central Municipal Assembly programme at Pentecost University College, Sowutuom.
Commenting on the programme, the Chief said he was happy that practical measures were being put in place to address floods, poor sanitation and water problems in the area.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ga Central Municipal Assembly (GCNA), Aristo A. Aryee, said the launch of WASH was a new turn for the assembly in addressing its drainage, sewerage, water and sanitation problems.
For the WASH programme not to become just a shelved document collecting dust, the MCE said the assembly will be providing households with toilet facilities, furthermore, punishment would be meted out to those who fail to adhere to the new directives, he added.