The Adentan Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra on Tuesday presented assorted items to 18 traditional councils in the area for the celebration of this year’s Homowo.
The items include 50 maxi bags of maize, 50 gallons of palm oil, 18 cartons of Castle Bridge and 18 cartons of Aromatic Schnapps.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Daniel Alexander Nii Noi Adumah, presenting the items appealed to the traditional authorities to be guided by the upsurge in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country and celebrate the festival in moderation.
He said even though the occasion has always been the scene of the rich cultural heritage of the people, the incidence of the COVID-19 outbreak had distorted the planned celebrations, hence the need for the religious and traditional authorities to adapt to the agreed protocols in order to be safe from the virus.
The MCE urged the celebrants to observe the occasion in peace in their various traditional communities, and also eschew acts that would ignite unnecessary tension that had the potential to disturb the peace of the area.
“The Gas are peace loving people and the Homowo festival is always used to cement existing communal bond and spirit therefore, this is the right time to take the issues of COVID-19 as a lesson for mankind and live in peace with one another,” he added.
The Chief of Amanfrom, Nii Adjeitey Obour I, on behalf of the traditional authorities expressed gratitude to the assembly and MCE for their annual support, and assured that everything possible would be done to celebrate the festival in moderation and in peace.
He emphasised that the sprinkling of kpokpoi would be restricted to individual households, adding that there would not also be outdoor or public celebration of the festival.
Nii Obour urged the family heads to ensure that members conducted themselves in accordance with agreed principles and norms and warned that any one that disturbed the peace would be dealt with, according to the laws of the land.
He appealed to the residents to be mindful of the COVID-19 protocols and protect themselves from the pandemic, adding that the upsurge of the disease called for every individual to be careful in their daily activities, in order to avoid contracting the deadly virus.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU