The Chiefs and people of Kwabenya a suburb of Accra, have celebrated their annual Homowo, amidst the sprinkling of “Kpokpoi”, the traditional food of the Gas, drumming, and the firing of muskets.
Clad in red, the Chiefs and some indigenes took turns sprinkling the food and poured libation at sacred places and homes. The festival which was celebrated peacefully attracted a large number of Gas and other tribes.
Addressing the gathering, the Queen Mother of Kwabenya, Naa Korkoi Dugbatey II, called for a united front to accelerate the development of the area and asked them to use the celebration to forge ahead in unity by burying their differences to seek the development of the area.
She expressed her deep concern over the escalating land disputes in the Greater Accra Region and stressed the urgent need for a resolution to these conflicts to maintain peace and social harmony.
The Queen Mother emphasized that the persistent land disputes are not only adversely affecting communities but also hindering the region’s development adding that the peaceful coexistence and the equitable sharing of land resources are crucial for fostering progress and maintaining stability in the area.
She stressed the importance of all stakeholders, including government bodies, community leaders, and traditional authorities, coming together to find sustainable solutions to land disputes.
Naa Korkoi Dugbatey II, advised the youth in the area to desist from the use and abuse of illicit drugs as they are harmful to their health, sanity, and development according to her, drugs such as cannabis (wee), tramadol, and others have adverse effects on the body and mind and could destroy those who use and abuse them.
She was worried about the installation of multiple Chiefs in Accra that can lead to conflicts, confusion, and a lack of clarity in traditional leadership structures and also undermine the integrity and authority of existing Chiefs.
Naa Korkoi Dugbatey II, pleaded with traditional authorities to provide guidelines and regulations for the selection and installation of Chiefs.
Commenting on the significance of the Homowo celebration, she described the Homowo as biblical and not fetish as presumed by most people.
“People think it is a fetish, but it is biblical, the activities of the festival were written in the bible before it was brought to Ghana. Homowo celebration is not a fetish”, she said.
Naa Korkoi Dugbatey II, added that it is time religious bodies recognise, understand, and accept the culture of the people in the communities they operated and emphasized the importance for people to recognise, value, and preserve their culture thereby calling on the youth to embrace their culture as well as partake in any cultural activity.
In her remarks, the Noryaa Manye of Kwabenya, Naa Yaabortsoo Edjurofeelo I, urged the youth to take their studies seriously to achieve their future aspirations and effectively contribute their quota to national development.
According to her, education must equip the youth with skills to enable them to be self-reliant and participate in improving the well-being of their communities and called on parents and guardians to ensure their children and wards acquired basic education.
The Noryaa Manye pointed out that education is the only legacy to bequeath the children, which would broaden their horizons and accelerate the pace of development.
She encouraged the youth to guard against social vices and practice virtues that would shape their lives and help them to become responsible adults.
Naa Yaabortsoo Edjurofeelo I, conveyed her delight at the unity that the people have embraced, emphasizing that it holds the potential to foster development in the area. Furthermore, she earnestly implored the community elders to actively engage themselves in the process of unity.