Pour libation with heavenly dew and not alcohol - Prof Tetteh Laryea

Reverend Professor Phillip Tetteh Laryea of the Akrofi Christallar Institute has said the best practice in pouring libation was with dew from heaven and not with alcohol.

"In our olden days our ancestors, before the coming of the white man, did not use alcoholic drinks for libation, they used fresh dew from the heaven; schnapps, dry gin and others was not the true order”, he said.

Professor Laryea said that ritual act performed in the past by our ancestors was with various substances including fresh dew and rain water mixed with grains such as corn or rice powder, olive oil and very recently the adoption and use of hard liquor.

He said this as he delivered his sermon during a special service held to unite ‘tradition and the church’ at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Calvary Congregation, Haatso.

Professor Laryea said the African did not have knowledge of what alcohol was until the coming of the Dutch to the Gold Coast.

He said “Akpeteshi” a locally produced gin, was so named because it was banned by the British and the producers had to produce it in hiding.

The Reverend Minister said it was banned because it was harmful and was destroying a lot of lives adding that civil servants in those days drank too much of it that it affected their productivity.

“If that was the case why use it in worship and who drinks the leftover gin after libation, “he questioned.

True adherents of the traditional religion, perform libation with the belief that it unites the ancestors to the living especially at state functions.

Professor Laryea said our traditions and festivals are ways by which God reveals himself to his people and should be practiced to glorify him and such events should not be an avenue to introduce our communities to destructive habits such as alcoholism.

He said the patronage of alcoholic beverages was on the increase and quickly destroying the youth of the country.

Professor Laryea called on chiefs, traditional leaders and opinion leaders to put in place appropriate measure to restore the right practices which has been lost to the adoption of foreign practice.