The people of Ga Mashie, on Saturday, marked this year's Homowo festival with a series of traditional activities, including the sprinkling of kpoikpoi, the ritual which heralds the celebration.Sprinkling of kpoikpoi is deeply symbolic in Ga tradition, and involves the sprinkling of the sacred food to invoke blessings, ward off famine, and commemorate the resilience of people in overcoming hunger.It is a central feature of the festival, which literally translates as "hooting at hunger," and is celebrated not only to honour the ancestors, but also strengthen the bond among their communities while reminding the people of their collective struggle and triumph over adversity.King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse sprinkling KpoikpoiIn line with tradition and custom, the Adonteng of the Ga State, Dr Nii Ayi-Bonte II, performed the first kpoikpoi sprinkling amidst a dazzling spectacle of tradition, woven with threads of vibrant colours, rhythmic movements, thumping drums and chants.Rooted in tradition and splendour, the sprinkling began at the historic Usher Fort, journeyed through the revered ruling houses of Gbese, before it was climaxed at the sacred forecourt of the Gbese Mantse Palace.Dr Nii Ayi-Bonte II getting ready to sprinkle the kpoikpoiThe performance of the ritual by the Adonteng, who is also the Gbese Mantse, opened the way for the Ga Mantse, who is the overlord of the Ga State, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to step out and sprinkle in several Ga stool houses accompanied by a large retinue of chiefs and elders from Ga Mashie.This year's observance, marked an added grandeur and significance to the occasion, positioning it as one of the standout moments leading into the full Homowo festivities.Dignitaries, traditional leaders, and scores of celebrants thronged the fort and other principal streets of Accra to witness the colourful event, which was accompanied by drumming, dancing, and traditional chants.The atmosphere was charged with cultural pride when the Adonteng, who also doubles as the Paramount Chief of the Gbese Traditional Area, clad in all red attire signifying extreme seriousness, led the rites with solemnity and regal poise, reaffirming the Ga State's unity and ancestral heritage.Homowo is usually preceded with a one month ban on drumming and noise making in Accra and is done as part of the spiritual planting of corn 'Mmadumo' and the subsequent lifting of the ban through the Odada ritual.Addressing the chiefs and people of the Gbese Traditional Area after the elaborate ritual, Nii Ayi-Bonte appealed to the people of Accra to forge ahead in unity and push for development.He said achieving true reconciliation and unity would require that all the people make truth and honesty their guiding principles, as well as show genuine love and care for each other.Nii Gbese bemoaned the situation where politicians, using state power, were appropriating Ga lands for themselves, warning that "I won't sit down for anybody, whether a Minister of state, Parliamentarian or government worker to take my lands."The Paramount Chief of the Abola Traditional Council and Atofotse (Advisor) of the Ga State, Nii Ahene Nunoo III, formed part of the Ga Mantse's retinue, stressed the importance of unity within the Ga State."Unity is not merely a concept; it is a lived experience.
It is what binds us together as brothers and sisters, irrespective of our backgrounds, beliefs, or interests.
In times of joy, we celebrate as one, in times of challenges, we rally together," he said.Some strategies to prepare the next generation of leaders that were outlined by Nii Ahene Nunoo III were regular community dialogue forums, inclusivity across gender and age, and youth mentorship.He further called for stronger partnerships with local organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and businesses for the enhancement of development and conflict resolution within Ga Mashie and beyond. BY CLIFF EKUFUL & CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
