Christian Council states position on total ban on drumming

The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) described as "unfortunate" the announcement by the Ga Traditional Council (GTC) of a total ban on drumming and clapping this year, even within the premises of churches.

"This is not in the spirit of peace building," the Council's Chairman and the Anglican Bishop of Accra, the Right Reverend Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, said.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, he said it is not clear whether a declaration signed on the ban on noisy activities last year with the GTC was intended to apply for only a year.

The GTC on Monday said it was imposing a total ban on drumming and noise making this year as prelude to the celebration of Homowo as the religious bodies showed bad faith through widespread violations of the ban last year.

"It is not true that the religious bodies showed bad faith through widespread violations as alleged."

Rt. Rev. Akrofi referred to another document issued two years ago in which the CCG expressed its love for culture and traditional leaders.

In that document, the CCG directed its members to confine crusades and other religious gatherings to their church premises and places of worship and avoid excessive noise during the period of the ban.

While expressing gratitude to the GTC for a letter dated April 25, 2001, the CCG chairman questioned why the letter was addressed only to religious bodies.

Rt. Rev. Akrofi asked: "Does that mean that only religious bodies make noise of drumming and clapping to be a cause for concern for the GTC for Homowo preparation? How about vehicles and the hooting and tooting, aeroplanes, soccer games and cheering teams at the stadium or football parks?

"People selling and yelling at the markets? Nite clubs? Why single out only religious bodies in the distribution of your letter?"

The CCG said it is reviving immediately the joint-monitoring committee of the Forum of Religious Bodies and the GTC or another such body for dialogue on the ban and other related Christian-religious and traditional custom issues towards peace building in the country.

The CCG said its members respect all indigenous and religious beliefs, but they cannot put aside or compromise on the fundamental human rights, the freedoms of expression and of religion as well as the constitutional rights of Ghanaians.

The CCG appealed to the government, the security agencies, the traditional authorities and the Christian religious bodies to ensure that peace prevails during the Homowo festivities.

The celebration of the annual traditional Homowo festival of the Gas is preceded by a ban on all forms of noise making to give the people of the traditional area enough time to meditate to review their individual and collective lives and refocus on increased productivity.

This year, the ban runs from May 7 to June 7. The annual ban has generated some confrontation in the recent past between the GTC and the Christian community.