Traditionalist rejects national shrine proposal

A cultural anthropologist, Osofo Kofitse Ahadzi, has rejected a proposal to build a national shrine for Ghanaian traditional priests.

He said what they urgently need is a national holiday.

On Wednesday, Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Samuel Kofi Dzamesi at a Meet the Press Series in Accra hinted that the government is considering plans to build a national shrine for traditional believers.

Mr Dzamesi said his ministry has been approached by some traditional groupings including Wulomei for the construction of the shrine.

According to him, the construction of a national shrine would not be unrealistic since the Islamic and Christian faiths in the country have a national mosque and national cathedral respectively.

But speaking on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM on Thursday, the cultural anthropologist said the priests do not need a national shrine.

“Our position is that we don’t need a national shrine. Give us our holiday just as you have given the Christians holidays. When you are at the coast, you see that the fishermen don’t go to sea on Tuesdays so if you agree to give us holidays, call us we will tell you the days that we like.”

He said they already have their own shrines just like churches and mosques, so there is no need to put up a national cathedral or national mosque or national shrine.

“How can a settler from Bawku who is a traditionalist come all the way to a national shrine located in Nkoranza or Half Assini or located in Accra? Is it possible?”

He questioned how the minister is going to deal with the various traditional leaders or priests.

“The Wulomei they are in the traditional setting but they are not the totality of traditional priests so if any call is to be made, we must all gather which is not going to be impossible. What are the Wulomei going to do in a shrine?”

According to him, the traditional leaders need maximum three days of holiday to start with.