Tema Traditional Council performs rites to ban noise making

As part of the preparations for this year's Homowo Festival, the Tema Traditional Council (TTC) has performed traditional rites to impose a three-week prohibition on noise making within the traditional territory.

The Nmaa Dumo prohibition is expected to be observed by all residents, regardless of whether they are Tema locals or not, from Friday, April 21, 2023, until May 12, 2023.

Young maidens, traditional leaders, priests, and priestesses gathered at the Sakumo Wulomo premises and then moved to the Sakumo shrine for the Nmaa Dumo, which is done concurrently with the Dudomi Nu Woo (throwing water into a pot).

The whitewashed circular temple is located at the Sakumo Ramsar site near Meridian Ports Service (MPS) Terminal Three.

The Amlakui, or men who help traditional priests in performing the nmaa dumo ceremonies, wore white tops and shorts, brown straw caps, were barefoot, and carried hoes over their shoulders, with some playing the gong-gong for the rites to be performed at the Sakumo shrine.

The young maidens, on the other hand, wore white calico from their waists to their knees, leaving their breasts uncovered; they wore limestone (krb) stripes on their faces, chests, and arms, and carried little pots on their heads.

Nuumo Ashiboi Kofi II, Sakumo Wulomo (Tema Chief Priest), said that exposing the young maidens' breasts meant they had achieved puberty but were yet to give birth.

The Sakumo Wulomo went on to tell them that their forefathers passed on this practise to them, adding that they placed water into the pots they were carrying and that at the temple grounds, the maidens would indicate to a crab hole that would be dug for them.

"When we dig the hole, if two crabs come out, it means your first child will be twins; if it's one, your first child will be one; and if it's a male or female crab, you'll have the same gender as your firstborn," he stated.

Nuumo Abodade Amle, Naayoo Wulomo II, on his part, issued a warning to all people of the Tema Traditional Area to respect the noise-making ban as if it were a tradition of their own towns.

He stated that because the traditional people, churches, and other religions all worship the same God, they must not look down on the Ga people's traditions and fail to obey the noise ban, as this may lead to bloodshed between the traditional people and inhabitants.

All communities in Tema, Ashaiman, Adjeiman, Zenu, Adjei-Kojo, and Saasabi, among others, are urged to respect the noise-making restriction.