Chiefs and people of Prampram celebrates Homowo

Prampram (Greater Accra) 18 Aug ’99

The Chiefs and people of Prampram in the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday started ceremonies to mark their two-day Annual Homowo festival.

Homowo of the Ga-Adangbe people, which literally means "hooting at hunger," traditionally signifies a period of abundant harvest after a prolonged famine.

The day was marked with the display of Asafo companies and the firing of muskets.

Nene Tetteh Djan III, Paramount Chief, accompanied by some elders, sprinkled the traditional food, "Kpokpoi" at Annorwe (the ancestral ruling house of Prampram), the main entrance to the town and the streets to signify the commencement of the festival.

Nene Djan called for unity and peace in the area to enable the people to plan and execute development projects and said division and litigation would retard the progress of the area.

"I believe in dialogue and my doors are wide open to any one who has any grievance".

Nene Djan said a recent research has shown that August is the last month of the calendar of Dangbes and that the last Tuesday of that month should be the commencement of the festival known as "Kpledzo," a traditional dance before Homowo.

Homowo is the day for family gathering, eating of Kpokpoi (the traditional food) in homes, settlement of disputes, planning of funerals, marriages, divorce and the performance of Dipo (puberty rite for adolescent girls).

Nene Djan noted that of late the people of Prampram have been following the Gas and called on citizens of the town to bury their differences and to come together to decide on the actual date for the celebration in the area.

The Dangme West District Security Committee (DISEC), on Friday, resolved a chieftaincy dispute between two factions to pave the way for the celebration.

After a series of consultations, Nene Djan and Nene Atsure Benta III, Mankralo agreed that the festival should begin yesterday.

Two weeks ago, the Executive Committee of the Prampram Traditional Council published that it would be held on Tuesday, August 31 but the Mankralo's faction came out with a counter publication that it was to be celebrated yesterday.

GRi../