Ga Traditional Council Summons Lighthouse Chapel, 14 Other Churches for Flouting Ban on Noise-Making

• The Ga Mashie Traditional Council has summoned 15 churches, including Lighthouse Chapel
• The summons relates to the flouting of the ban on drumming and noise-making on May 18, 2025
• The ongoing ban on drumming and noise-making will run from May 12 to June 12 ahead of the Homowo Festival

The Ga Mashie Traditional Council has summoned 15 churches, including Lighthouse Chapel and Calvary Baptist Church, to appear before it for questioning after allegedly flouting the ban on drumming and noise-making.

Joy News reported that the leader of the task force enforcing the ban, Asafoatse Mankatta, said churches were clapping during their services in direct violation of the ban.

When the task force presented the summons letters, Mankatta said some of the churches refused to accept them.

The task force stormed some of these churches on May 18 during services.

“We have great respect for Calvary Baptist Church, but we were surprised to see them violating the orders of the Traditional Council; they were making noise as if there was nothing at stake."

He added that the church authorities are expected to appear before the council on Thursday, May 22, warning that there will be dire consequences if they fail to comply.

The Ga Traditional Council scheduled the ban on drumming and noise-making from May 12 to June 12 ahead of the 2025 Homowo Festival.

The annual ban, a significant cultural practice among the Ga people, is observed to create an atmosphere of peace, solemnity, and spiritual reflection ahead of the festival, which celebrates unity, resilience and gratitude for a bountiful harvest.

What the ban on noise-making entails

During the ban, clapping, the use of tambourines, loudspeakers and other musical instruments is prohibited.

Funeral rites and related activities are also to be suspended until one week after the ban is lifted. Funerals will be allowed from June 20, 2025.

There will be a task force comprising representatives from the Regional Security Council, local assemblies, and the Ghana Police Service to enforce the ban.

About the Homowo Festival

The Homowo Festival commemorates resilience during a famine that ravaged the Ga ethnic group and the harvest that followed. Homowo means hooting at hunger.

The period of silence leading up to the festival serves as a time of reflection before the joyous celebrations commence.

In 2024, there was also a pre-Homowo clean-up exercise. That was a one-month campaign themed “Let’s Keep Accra Clean” and it was aimed at promoting sound waste management practices.

The Ga Mantse warned against politicising the exercise and emphasised that sanitation affected everyone in Accra, regardless of political affiliation.

Sarkodie’s son visits Ga Mantse’s Palace

YEN.com.gh reported that Michael Nana Yaw Owusu Addo Jr., affectionately known as MJ and the son of rapper Sarkodie, joined his classmates and teachers on a memorable excursion to the Ga Traditional Council.

During their visit, MJ appeared noticeably grown-up and confident as he exchanged greetings and respectfully introduced himself to the Ga Mantse. His composure impressed many in the room, drawing praise from social media users who watched the video.

Following the visit, the Ga Mantse generously presented school bags to MJ and his schoolmates. The visit ended with a cheerful photo session, capturing the special moment between the students and the traditional ruler.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh