By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Accra, May 4, GNA – The annual one-month ban on drumming and noise-making within the Ga Traditional Area begins today, Monday, May 4, and will end on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
The ban, which forms part of preparations towards the celebration of the Homowo Festival, requires residents, churches, mosques, pubs, event centres and other establishments to refrain from excessive noise, drumming and the use of loud sound systems during the period.
It also includes a suspension of funeral rites and all related activities throughout the duration of the restriction.
No public mourning, funeral processions or burial ceremonies involving amplified sound or drumming will be permitted until the ban is lifted.
The measure is intended to preserve peace, order and respect for Ga customs and traditions ahead of the annual festival.
Religious bodies and traditional leaders are, therefore, urged to demonstrate mutual respect and ensure that their followers avoid derogatory or inflammatory remarks against the beliefs and practices of others.
Residents and institutions operating within the affected areas are advised to comply fully with the directive to avoid sanctions and help maintain calm during the period.
The Ga Traditional Council, at a press conference earlier this year, stated that the annual ban was a sacred observance meant to promote peace, solemnity and spiritual reflection within the Ga State.
It noted that the ban, being part of the traditional rites leading up to the Homowo Festival, was recognised under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
A joint task force comprising the Regional Security Council, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies would be deployed to enforce the directive to ensure full compliance.
The Council appealed to residents, religious bodies, institutions and visitors to cooperate fully with the directive, emphasising that observing the ban promoted communal harmony and preserved the cultural identity of the Ga people.
The Homowo Festival is a major cultural celebration of the Gas, marked annually to commemorate resilience, unity and thanksgiving following a historic famine.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Hafsa Obeng
[email protected]