Churches agree to observe ban on drumming

Accra, (Greater Accra) 4th May ?99,

All churches, except the Lighthouse Chapel Ministries at Korle Gonno, a stronghold of Ga traditionalism, on Monday agreed to obey the ban on drumming imposed by the Ga traditional council.

At a meeting organised by the assemblyman for the area, Mr Wisdom Dodoo, and the Ophir Unit Committee to broker a deal, all representatives agreed to oblige but stressed that should anyone trespass, the fellow should be spared the use of brutal force.

Lighthouse Chapel which last year clashed with Ga traditionalists for not observing the ban, was not represented.

"It is a shame that they did not show up and I guess they are ready for the repercussions. If the inevitable happens, God knows that we tried to avoid it," Mr Ben Brown, adviser to the Ophir Unit Committee, said.

Thirty days of no significant noise making is observed annually by the Ga people to prepare them for the celebration of the Homowo festival.

The organisers said they were highly disappointed that the Lighthouse Chapel did not honour their invitation because it was the main target of vandalism last year after some traditionalists alleged that it had deliberately ignored the ban.

"We are more concerned after receiving media reports alleging that the church was arming itself to rebuff any reprisal from the traditionalists.

"We are afraid it would happen again and may be more explosive and that we (Korle Gonno residents) are sure to suffer the effects of the clash," Mr Dodoo said.

The deal itself did not come easily as the youth wing and the churches, especially the Pentecostals, were locked up on the issue of whether tradition should supersede the individual's freedom of worship and vice versa.

The Reverend Father Vincent Shamo, Parish Priest of the Saint Michael and All Saints Anglican Church, helped ease the tension when he said they should first consider the issue of peaceful co-existence.

"If we look at this issue from the legal point of view, the argument would never stop but my fellow Christians, let's be frank with ourselves. Has the state even given traditionalists any holiday?

"Why don't we let go these few days? After all, God knows that we intend to worship him faithfully," he pleaded.