The Ban Is On

By Eric Mensah Ayettey

Accra - About two weeks after the Ga Traditional Council imposed a ban on drumming, there seem to be calm in the city with all the churches complying. The hullabaloo about the significance of the ban and the human rights issues it raised have died down.

We have a 'live and let's live' attitude which I think is very good for our national development. I have been wondering whether there was the need for all the confusion and the consequent casualties that occurred last year and the year before since there has not been any report by any of the churches to the effect that since they lowered the level of the noise they make, God has stopped answering their prayers.

It is obvious that the reverse would hold true if the churches defied the ban. Whether or not there would be abundant harvests later in the year does not necessarily depend on noise made during this period. I don't care who disagrees with me. It is a tradition which has been observed since time immemorial and it is only a matter of reasoning that those who claim to live their lives by it and happen to be the custodians of the land should be allowed to have their way.

The present situation also gives credence to the generally held notion that Ghanaians are naturally peaceful people. I think we need to be grateful to God and clap for ourselves because, but for that peaceful nature of ours, we could be in the state Liberians and Sierra Leoneans find themselves now.

Commendation should also go to the Greater Accra Regional Co- ordinating Committee (RCC) for finding what seems to be a lasting solution to what could have become an annual problem. I am referring to the week-long workshop on managing religious conflicts that was organized for the various religious bodies to arrive at an agreement that would avoid clashes between especially Christian and traditional authorities when the ban on drumming and noise-making before the celebration of Homowo is imposed.

Prior to the ban, the greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Joshua Alabi, also inaugurated a 20-member standing committee to manage religious conflicts and to monitor noice-making in the region. The inauguration was in compliance with a joint declaration by all religious bodies and organizations in the city at the aforementioned workshop. The declaration, among other things, called for the establishment of a committee to monitor and manage any misunderstanding arising out of the celebration or observance of customs, traditions or festivals in the region.

As part of the joint declaration, it was agreed that drumming and noise-making beyond the levels prescribed by the abatement of noise (1995) by-law of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) shall be monitored by the joint committee. The committee is therefore to receive, investigate and arbitrate on complaints from individuals, parties or entities who allege that their rights have been infringed upon by the activities of any religious body.

The standing committee, presided over by the Director of the RCC, Mr. Fats Nartey, comprises four representatives of the RCC, three each from the Ga traditional council and AMA, two from the Ga-Adangme society and one each from eight Christian, Muslim and traditional religious organizations in the city. Kudos RCC!! But from the look of things, it seems the committee will have little or no work to do.

I know that tempers flare when the issue of respect for the Ga Traditional Council and Gas in general comes up for discussion, but do we as Gas, have any cause to complain? I have written in this column before that we could have a better image as a state than what obtains now. However, this can only happen if we embark on a serious image building exercise. This is because as it is now a very big gap exists between Gas and the word 'respect'. I am a Ga from Osu Alata and I can say for a fact that we don't command any respect from the other tribes. Let a Ga try marrying from another tribe and you will hear the kind of comments that will come from members of the other family.

It is my personal conviction that respect is earned. I find it hard to believe that an acting Ga Mantse has not been named to take on the functions of the ailing Ga Mantse. Nii Kolai Amontia II who was acting, died last year. An executive member of the Ga-Adangme Society has explained that the Sempe Mantse, Nii Adote Obuor II, in his position as the acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, has been assigned the duties of the Ga Mantse. Well, what I want to see is a substantive and appropriately installed Ga Mantse.

Why do we blame a stranger for not following tradition when the traditional process that has to be followed is not in place? One may say that what resulted in the postponement of the launch of the Otumfuo Education Fund was a way of announcing to the whole world that we are a force to reckon with but then, I believe sincerely that the timing was unfortunate. If it is respect and recognition we want, let's do our things well and the respect would come by itself.