Editorial
Respect Ga Traditional Council’s ban on noise-making in Accra
The Ga Traditional Council (GTC) has announced a month-long ban on drumming and noise-making in Accra as part of preparations for the celebration of this year’s Ga Homowo Festival.
According to the GTC, the ban begins today and ends on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
The ban is an annual traditional rite that precedes the celebration of the Homowo Festival, referred to as “Odadaa” by the chiefs and people of Ga Mashie, and which requires silence and tranquility for more than a month after the ritual planting of the crops.
Some communities the ban affects are Ga Mashie, Korle Gonno, Dansoman, Sakaman, Malam, Gbawe, Bortianor, Ngleshie-Amanfro, Kokrobite, Oshiyie, Obaakrowa, Kofi Kwei, Ahida, Papase, Pokuase, Amasaman, Sapeiman, Achimota, among others.
Within the period of the ban, no one or no group of people should engage in any form of noise-making, including the use of loud speakers for music or preaching in the various communities.
This is in line with the beliefs of the traditional Ga people. It is, therefore, important for each and every person to respect the ban.
Adhering to the ban is good because it will show that we are tolerant of one another in spite of our religious differences.
No individual or group of people should attempt to enforce the ban in their own way; otherwise, those who are opposed to the ban may also want to defend themselves against its enforcement. This will result in chaos or disturbances that may lead to injuries or even deaths.
In the past, this has been the situation, and it has not helped any person or group of people in the country. For this reason, we need to maintain peace to ensure that Ghana as a whole becomes the winner.
In this regard, traditional believers should not take the law into their hands and brutalise any perceived offenders as the result will be disastrous.
They must work closely with the police, who are enforcers of the law. Peace must prevail, and this is what we want to see. Peace is paramount to the socioeconomic development of this country.
We, therefore, cannot compromise peace. Let us respect one another when it comes to religious beliefs, for peace to prevail in the country
Editorial
Merits and demerits of scraping betting tax
Dear Editor,
Over the past years, a lot of concerns have been raised about the rise of sports betting companies in the country, their operations, and how it impacted negatively on the youth of the country.
I have also witnessed how some of the youth go to the extent of borrowing money from friends or use companies’ money to stake bets, which they were not guaranteed of winning.
Due to this, I was happy when the previous government introduced the betting tax, as I felt it would deter the youth from engaging in it.
However, some Ghanaians hold the view that the betting tax would help create employment.
It wasn’t surprising to see the excitement that greeted the announcement of the scrapping of the tax by the Finance Minister.
My worry now is how, as a country, the youth can be discouraged from engaging in betting.
I believe that as the betting tax has been scrapped, it is about time that the government finds ways of addressing the issue of betting among the youth as it is becoming more serious than before.
I believe that there should be a multi-stakeholder engagement between the various stakeholders to proffer solutions to address them.
Editorial
Rail crossing point at circle- Kaneshie road needs attention
Dear Editor,
I read with happiness a letter published in the previous edition about the poor state of the rail crossing stretch of the Circle-Kaneshie road.
I totally agree with the concerns raised by the writer and I wish to add my voice to the call on the authorities to quickly work on that stretch of the road.
What the writer left out was the occasional happenings when vehicles break down on the rail line. I have witnessed that before.
It is not a comfortable thing driving on it at all. It is a huge dent on the beauty the interchange was expected to bring to the area.
The traffic it creates is a major inconvenience to people who are rushing to work.
I wish to appeal to the authorities to quickly do something about that portion of the road to make it convenient for drivers. Thank you for the space.
Maxwell Amamoo,
Odorkor
