Ga Mashie celebrates Homowo
The chiefs and people of Ga Mashie celebrated their annual Homowo festival last Saturday in spite of a court injunction by other claimants to the Ga Stool, which sought to stop the chiefs from going ahead with the celebrations.
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Contrary to fears expressed that there might be violence as a result of the feud, the festival was marked peacefully. There was, however, heavy police presence during the festivities.
Clad in red cloth, the chiefs took turns to sprinkle kpokpoi, the traditional meal, at sacred places as well as some residences and also poured libation.
The rituals were preformed amidst drumming and chanting of war songs.
Sprinkling of Kpokpoi
The Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayibonte II, led other elders to sprinkle kpokpoi at the Ussher Fort, a heritage site, where the remains of some chiefs and elders of the Ga stool are believed to be kept.
The Ga Mantse, Nii Adama Latse, sprinkled the traditional food at the Abola Stool House and later at various homes and other scared places.
Nii Ayitey Canada, one of the claimant to the Ga Stool, was also seen sprinkling the kpokpoi.
The rituals by the traditional rulers was followed by the eating of the traditional meal, kpokpoi, .
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When the Daily Graphic visited Ga Mashie in the morning, some residents were seen busily clearing their houses of filth while others were preparing kpokpoi and palm nut soup for the festivities.
Loud speakers placed at vantage points were playing music.
Latse speaks
In an interview with journalists, Nii Adama Latse said he was happy the celebration was peaceful and successful.
Asked what his opinion was about the writ filed at the court to stop the celebration, he said he was oblivious of it, adding that his focus was to promote the development of the Ga state.
“I am focused and pursuing the course that I am in,” he said.
He wished all Gas long life and prosperity and assured them of development and progress during his reign.
Court case
Nii Tetteh Kwei II, the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, and four others who describe themselves as kingmakers of the Ga Traditional Council filed an application at the High Court praying it to restrain 17 people, including Mr George Adama Tackie, a claimant to the Ga Stool, “from sprinkling kpokpoi at Ga Mashie or pouring libation at Ga Mashie and the Abola Stool House or entering the Stool House at Abola.
They also sought to prevent the defendants from holding meetings or conferences at the Ga Traditional Council during the Homowo Festival period until the final determination of the substantive suit.”
A statement of case was filed on behalf of the applicants by Law Consult, a legal firm.
An affidavit in support of the motion for injunction deposed on behalf of the other applicants by the Head of the Abola Piam Royal Ruling House and Head of the Akropong Division, Nii Akropong IV, noted that the respondents were planning to go ahead and celebrate the Homowo Festival, despite the pendency of the petition.
Origins of Homowo
Homowo, which means hooting at hunger, is celebrated annually by the Ga to remember the famine that occurred in the Ga state in the early years of their settlement.
Kpokpoi, the traditional food, is prepared with maize and normally consumed with palm-nut soup.
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