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People of Prampram gear up for Lalue Kpledomi festival after symbolic visit to the Ancestral Forest
The people of Prampram are gearing up for the celebration of this year’s Lalue Kpledomi festival beginning from April 23.
According to an elaborate programme released by the Prampram Traditional Council, a curfew will immediately follow right after the first celebration has ended.
The second and third will also follow the next Tuesday after each other.
The festival is a veneration of the ancestral deity, Lalue, and the first is held to honour her memory.
The final celebration is often taken into the lower side of Prampram, where the “Kplemi” or drum is lowered into the sea.
Prior to that, an appropriate customary rite will be performed by the Chief Priest of the Traditional Area, Nii Ayertey Charway Labia.
As part of an elaborate spiritual rites towards the festival, a symbolic visit to the ancestral forest was performed near the forecourt of the Prampram District Assembly.
The all-white spiritual cermoney was attended by members of the Prampram Traditional Council led by its President and the Paramount Chief Nene Tetteh Wakah III, who asked for blessings for the people of Prampram and its environs.
For the first time, the event was carried live on PramcitiTV, a social media news outlet based in the town, and streamed around the world.
Explaning the rationale behind the event, Nii Ayiku Obleh IV or Numlor Kpanyor, a Counsellor and prominent member from Kley, one of the four quarters making up Prampram, said the “Huemiyami” in Dangbe or the visit to the ancestral forest, offers the spiritual heads in the town an opporutnity to come together and seek God’s blessings.
He said spiritual fortification is an integral part of every human being and before the beginning of an important exercise as the Kpledomi, it is important the town goes before the Lalue deity, to seek the blessings of God for the town and its people.
“We pray for the good of the land; for our fishermen, farmers, teachers, drivers, and any other professional to flourish in whatever they do,” he said.
“We also pray for those who are desperately seeking to have children to not only be blessed with them, but have the patience and wisdom to raise the children in the appropriate way,” he asserted.
According to him, what is done during the event is no different from what other religious bodies, especially the Christians do in their various places of worship.
Nii Ayiku Obleh IV also pleaded with natives of the town to actively participate in their festival since it is a true representation of their own identity.
The colourful ceremony was also witnessed by the traditional Queenmother Naa Osabu Abbey I, Asafoatsemeyi and Asafoanyemi, divisional chiefs from the traditional areas and members of the public.
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
