Friday, August 13, 2010

Ga Chiefs condemn Homowo ban



Nii tackie Tawiah III is the Ga Mantse

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday August 13, 2010
The Ga Traditional Council says it was never consulted by anybody before the Greater Accra Coordinating Council released a circular purporting to restrict this year’s Homowo celebration of the Chiefs and people of Ga.

A news release issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Nii Dodo Nsaki II on behalf of the council said “the Ga Traditional Council comprises of chiefs of the seven quarters of Ga Mashie and those of Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua and Tema. The council wishes to protest and condemn that circular in no uncertain terms.”

The release said the chiefs as custodians of the Ga land were not consulted before the circular was sent to the media adding “Ga Mashie is not the only flash point in chieftaincy matters in Ghana.”

“Even in areas where there are shootings and bloodshed the people celebrate their annual festivals without interference whatsoever,” the release said.

It will be recalled that on Monday August 9, 2010 the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council issued a circular restricting the forthcoming annual Homowo festival to designated areas.

The restriction was contained in a press statement signed by Fats Nartey, Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council on behalf of the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

The Regional minister has directed that the festival be restricted to only family homes where there are no disputes.

The sprinkling of “Kpoikpoi” the directive went on should also be done in such family homes and not extended unto the streets at the trouble spots.
Persons the minister referred to as malcontents should not be allowed into any of the palaces or the stool rooms.

According to the release the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander has been requested to monitor the celebrations to ensure that peace according to the minister prevails in the region, saying “the due process of law should be made to take its course to ensure that peace and harmony prevail during the celebration and any person who flouts the law should be dealt with in accordance with the dictates of the law.”

The Minister said “the government will not sit down for anybody to take the law into their own hands and that the security services have been put on full alert to deal with any malcontents according to law.”

The annual festival has been marred with what has been described by interference of people with vested interests in the Ga chieftaincy affair.

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