compiled by ter ellingson non-christians condemn …staff.washington.edu/ellingsn/drum wars...

Drum Wars News 1

Drum Wars News News accounts of the Ghana Drum Wars, 1998-2003

Compiled by Ter Ellingson

Non-Christians condemn attacks on them by Christians

http://allafrica.com/stories/199807140153.html Ghana Focus July 14, 1998 Posted to the web July 14, 1998

Accra

Believers in African Traditional Religion Tuesday condemned verbal attacks on them by Christians and said such attacks do not urgur well for freedom of worship.

A statement signed by Osofo Kofi Ameve of the African Renaissance Mission "abhorred the use of radio and other mass media by Christian to insult believers of African religion".

"Some Pentecostal Churches are the main perpetrators of the act. It is disheartening to hear open insults, abuses and brazen misinterpretation of facts and downright untruths being told about our African religious heritage", it said, adding that such behaviour could disturb religious peace.

Believers in African Traditional Region said in the statement that as an adjunct to the abusive preaching on the airwaves is the use of gospel songs heavily "imbued with insults and derogatory remarks about African religion".

"We cannot see why the gospel preachers cannot propagate their gospel in a more peaceful manner without insulting or singing songs that seek to ridicule other religions".

It accused the radio stations of only interested in money they collect from customers and did not seem to care about injuries the gospel preachers cause to others.

The statement appealed to the government to ensure that a guideline is worked out to regulate preaching on the radio to ensure an atmosphere of peace.

Traditionalists have in recent times clashed with Christians, accusing the Christians of not respecting traditional practises.

Last month a group of youngmen broke into a church during Sunday service, injured several people, broke down walls and damaged cars. They accused the worshippers of not observing a ban on drumming imposed by fetish priests of the area as part of the celebration of a traditional festival.

Copyright © 2002 Ghana Focus. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media

(allAfrica.com).

Drum Wars News 2

The Controversial Ban On Drumming

http://allafrica.com/stories/199905120234.html The Independent (Accra) May 12, 1999 Posted to the web May 12, 1999

Accra

A week ago, the Secretaries General of the National Catholic Secretariat, the Christian Council of Ghana and the President of the Ghana Pentecostal Council issued a statement in reaction to a letter issued by the Ga Traditional Council on drumming and noise-making in Accra.

We the Catholic Bishops, the Heads of Member Churches of the Christian Council and the President of the Ghana Pentecostal Council have noted that the prohibition on drumming is not new, and is not peculiar to the Ga Traditional Area. It is a prohibition enforced in other parts of the country for social, cultural and religious motives.

This, and other cultural and religious practices have been with us for many years and have until recently not been the cause for conflict for anyone. There has always been an understanding between us and our traditional leaders and we have always lived together in peace and tranquility.

We wonder why this sudden call for prohibition on drumming and noise-making. Is it probably urged by the fact that there is indeed an increase in undue noise-making and drumming which go on in certain places till well in the night, if not starting too early in the morning? Or could they also be due to the insults and abuses which some newly founded Churches hurl on traditional authorities?

We, the Catholic Bishops of Ghana, the Heads of Member Churches of the Christian Council and the President of the Ghana Pentecostal Council deeply denounce these unfortunate behaviours which we deem to be unChristian. Sometimes, we ourselves are victims of this behaviour from groups which claim to be Christian.

We love our culture and respect our traditional leaders, but we strongly believe that the statement from the Ga Traditional Council infringes on our basic human and constitutional rights. We are being asked to involve ourselves in traditional religious practices which we do not believe in. We are being forced to avoid something which our religion expects us to do, namely to sing drum and praise our God. Our traditional leaders should not force us to do something against our conscience. Such an action is against our human rights. It will not be in the interest of our traditional leaders and will cause disaffection and lead to violence which will not augur well for our country.

Because of our Christian call to be peace-loving, we have tried to deal with this problem. We have sought and obtained an audience with the National House of Chiefs and a joint committee is discussing the issue.

Therefore while we ask all Christian churches to restrict the use of drums to their churches and avoid unnecessary noise during the period of the ban in the interest of peace and reconciliation, we hope that the Ga Traditional Council would respond to our gesture by respecting our way of worship.

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Further directive on the Ban on Drumming/Noise Making


Accra

On the 5th of May 1999 the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, Heads of Churches of the Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Pentecoastal Council issued a statement in reaction to the release of the Ga Traditional Council on drumming and noise-making our respect for our culture and our traditional leaders, and admitted that there have been abuses by some Christian groups in the past.

The Bishops and Heads of Churches however, in the interest of peace and reconciliation asked all Christians to restrict their drumming to their respective places of worship and avoid unnecessary noise making.

It was stated clearly that the statement of the Ga Traditional Council was an infringement on our basic human and constitutional rights and that we were being asked to involve ourselves in traditional religious practices we do not believe in.

We note with deep regret that our peace stance notwithstanding certain Churches in Accra were at the weekend vandalised. Church Leaders and members were beaten and some Churches were looted by people who claimed to have been sent by the Traditional Council. This state of affairs creates tensions, disharmony and lawlessness which is not in the interest of the Churches, the Traditional Council and the country as a whole.

Therefore we are asking the law enforcement agencies to take note of this alarming situation and act expeditiously before the situation gets out of hand.

We shall be very grateful if the Ga Traditional Council publicly disassociates itself with the unfortunate behaviour of those who claim to be acting on its behalf.

We ask all Christians to restrain themselves from the provocations, restrict their drumming to their Churches and avoid unnecessary noise making as previously directed. Furthermore, we ask all Christian Leaders to avoid making unauthorised statements without regard to the official statements already made.



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Thugs Vandalising Churches in Accra


Thomas Fosu, JR. Accra

A group of gangsters numbering about 12 went on the rampage attacking a number of churches in the Accra Metropolis last Sunday.

This is the latest of such attacks believed to be the handiwork of the chiefs of the Ga Traditional Council and to be perpetrated by hired thugs as a way of ensuring the compliance with the ban on drumming by these "recalcitrant" churches.

One of such churches which suffered the planned brutalities at the weekend was the Living Light Ministry at Darkuman-Nyamekye in Accra.

According to sources, the thugs arrived there in a Benz mini bus at about 11:30am when the second service was in session.

The heavily drunk well-built thugs wielding bottles and sticks entered the church room and held the congregation to ransom, demanding the immediate stoppage of church service because, according to the thugs, the congregation was disturbing with their musical instruments.

The thugs then seized all the loudspeakers and the musical instruments and packed them into their waiting vehicle. According to the sources, some men amongst the congregation who were taken aback started challenging the action of the mob and tried to restrain them from carrying the musical instruments away but the thugs, however, threatened to kill anyone who would come their way.

The head pastor of the church, Rev. Gideon Somuah-Dapaah, promptly ordered his men to be calm for the thugs to take whatever they wanted.

After they had taken everything and were about to go, some church members who happened to know some of the gangsters consulted them. And after a lengthy consultation, the seized items were released to the church. There was no casualty.

Later in an interview with The Independent, head pastor Rev. Somuah-Dapaah advised leaders of churches and Christians in general to exhibit a high sense of maturity in resolving the differences between the churches and traditionalists because, according to him, the situation was becoming increasingly volatile.

"Now Christians and traditionalists alike are claiming legitimate right to the practice of their beliefs. However, no-one can doubt the hard stand of these traditionalists which goes to confirm how adamant they are.

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"So why not Christians take a softer stand and comply with the ban in order to avert destruction of lives and property?" he questioned.

Rev. Somuah-Dapaah added that complying with the ban did not mean "we cannot worship our God, but we can still worship with clapping and singing."

Reverend Somuah-Dapaah asked Christians to use prayers as their only weapon to overcome whatever challenges they were faced with, adding that "the fight is not ours but God's".



Drum Wars News 6

Christianity and tradition on collision 990621 http://lists.peacelink.it/afrinews/msg00003.html

Africanews June 1999 B

To: [email protected] Subject: Africanews June 1999 B From: Enrico Marcandalli <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 13:50:10 +0200

** ***** ************************************************ * ********* * ** **** AFRICANEWS * *** *** News and Wiews on Africa from Africa * **** *** Issue 39 - June 1999 * **** ** * ***** ************************************************ * AFRICANEWS 39 ** Ghana Christianity and tradition on collision ========================================================================= Ghanaian Christian churches and the Ga Traditional Council have collided over the ban of this year's celebrations of a traditional festival, Homowo, by the council. Some churches defied the ban saying it was a denial of their freedom of worship and belief. ========================================================================= By Amos Safo ========================================================================= Once more Ghanaians have been awakened by the clash between tradition and Christianity which this time turned violent in the process causing the destruction of property running into millions of cedis. The clash occurred when the Ga Traditional Council (a council of chiefs that represents the landowners of Accra) on May 1, 1999 announced a ban on drumming and excessive noise making. The ban which is an annual exercise that precedes the celebration of a traditional festival called "Homowo" which literally means chasing hunger away. According to the traditionalists, it is celebrated to pray to the gods for a bumper harvest. This year's ban took effect from midnight May 3, and ended on June 3. Before it took effect some churches had served notice that they would

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not obey the ban since it infringed on their freedom of worship and belief. In a statement, the Christian Council, the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Ghana Pentecostal Council described the ban imposed on noise making and drumming by the Ga Traditional Council as an infringement on the constitutional rights of the churches. The statement argued that the imposition was compelling them to involve themselves in traditional beliefs that are contrary to their faith. A similar statement from leaders of some Charismatic churches also argued that the decision to impose the ban on drumming constituted a direct attack on their belief in the sovereign lord. They said the Ga Traditional Council had no power to enact and enforce laws. "We also know that there is no constitutional provision that allows any group of religious adherents to impose their beliefs on another group" Yet the traditional authorities would have none of it. When the first Sunday after the ban came into effect, traditionalists armed with offensive weapons stormed some churches that were singing and dancing and beat the congregation, confiscating their instruments in the process. The attacks were so violent that they generated heated debate on the various media with calls for a halt on attacks on churches. There were also calls on churches to respect the ban in the interest of peace. Neither side was prepared to heed the call for compromise. Much as the churches thought that obeying traditional rules meant idolatory, the traditionalists felt that the defiance by the churches was an affront to their culture. As the confrontation wore on, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr. Emile Short issued a statement explaining that the ban had no legal backing and could not be enforced. The statement urged the traditionalists to appeal to the Christians to accept the ban instead of imposing it on them. The Traditional Council did not take the Commission's intervention lightly and threatened to continue the assault as long as the churches continued to defy the ban. A presidential staffer on Chieftaincy Affairs, Nana Akuoko Sarpong also called on charismatic churches to reach a compromise with the Ga Traditional Council on the annual banning to end the dispute. Nana Sarpong recongnised the important roles some churches are playing in society but accused some of them of disrespecting Ghanaian culture. A meeting held between the traditionalists and ministers of state yielded nothing even though the ministers tried to explain the rather delicate issue of balancing observance and respect for tradition and culture with the rights of freedom of worship as enshrined in the Constitution. In spite of the intervention of ministers, the chiefs went ahead and warned the police to stay out of their efforts to enforce respect for their culture. To show their seriousness, on May 9 local media reported that 100 traditional youth armed to the teeth ransacked the Gospel Light International, The Victory Bible Church and the Christ Apostolic Church all in the same neighbourhood. They reportedly took away instruments and church collections realised for the day. Spokesmen for the churches told reporters that they were attacked even though they were not drumming.

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And on 30 May a mob of Ga youth reportedly attacked worshippers of Apostolic Faith Ministry, leaving one person in a coma and five seriously injured. The attackers reportedly bolted with all the instruments and the offering for the day. In all the attacks, the police did not make a single arrest. One common feature of the collision was that the assailants targeted only the charismatic churches, leaving the orthodox churches believed to respect African culture. Reacting to the clash between culture and tradition, the President of the Methodist Conference, Rev Dr Alex Asante-Antwi advised Christians to avoid blanket condemnation of the country's culture. Dr Antwi said the attitudes of some ministers of the gospel tend to polarise the country's religious beliefs instead of harmonising the various religions for the spiritual development of the country's culture. He said the traditionalists deserve respect and humility from Christians. Dr Antwi explained that the church has been slow in accepting the fact that Christianity could be richer if it is blended with the culture of the people. He said the clash between the Ga traditional Council and some churches is a manifestation of the enmity between the church and traditionalists which could have been averted if there was mutual trust. "Ghanaians must not alienate themselves from their culture because they have become Christians", he concluded. At the time of filing this report, the ban had been lifted with no concrete agreements reached to forestall a recurrence, but certainly this year's clash has revived calls for some traditional beliefs to be modified so that they come in tune with constitutionalism. ========================================================================= +------------------------- AFRICANEWS ---------------------------+ News & Views on Africa from Africa ---------------------------------- Koinonia Media Centre, P.O. Box 8034, Nairobi, Kenya email: [email protected] +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Drum Wars News 9

The Ban Is On

http://allafrica.com/stories/200005230263.html The Dispatch (Accra) May 23, 2000 Posted to the web May 23, 2000

Eric Mensah Ayettey Accra

About two weeks after the Ga Traditional Council imposed a ban on drumming, there seem to be calm in the city with all the churches complying. The hullabaloo about the significance of the ban and the human rights issues it raised have died down.

We have a 'live and let's live' attitude which I think is very good for our national development. I have been wondering whether there was the need for all the confusion and the consequent casualties that occurred last year and the year before since there has not been any report by any of the churches to the effect that since they lowered the level of the noise they make, God has stopped answering their prayers.

It is obvious that the reverse would hold true if the churches defied the ban. Whether or not there would be abundant harvests later in the year does not necessarily depend on noise made during this period. I don't care who disagrees with me. It is a tradition which has been observed since time immemorial and it is only a matter of reasoning that those who claim to live their lives by it and happen to be the custodians of the land should be allowed to have their way.

The present situation also gives credence to the generally held notion that Ghanaians are naturally peaceful people. I think we need to be grateful to God and clap for ourselves because, but for that peaceful nature of ours, we could be in the state Liberians and Sierra Leoneans find themselves now.

Commendation should also go to the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Committee (RCC) for finding what seems to be a lasting solution to what could have become an annual problem. I am referring to the week-long workshop on managing religious conflicts that was organized for the various religious bodies to arrive at an agreement that would avoid clashes between especially Christian and traditional authorities when the ban on drumming and noise-making before the celebration of Homowo is imposed.

Prior to the ban, the greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Joshua Alabi, also inaugurated a 20-member standing committee to manage religious conflicts and to monitor noise-making in the region. The inauguration was in compliance with a joint declaration by all religious bodies and organizations in the city at the aforementioned workshop. The declaration, among other things, called for the establishment of a committee to monitor and manage any misunderstanding arising out of the celebration or observance of customs, traditions or festivals in the region.

As part of the joint declaration, it was agreed that drumming and noise-making beyond the levels prescribed by the abatement of noise (1995) by-law of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) shall be monitored by the joint committee. The committee is therefore

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to receive, investigate and arbitrate on complaints from individuals, parties or entities who allege that their rights have been infringed upon by the activities of any religious body.

The standing committee, presided over by the Director of the RCC, Mr. Fats Nartey, comprises four representatives of the RCC, three each from the Ga traditional council and AMA, two from the Ga-Adangme society and one each from eight Christian, Muslim and traditional religious organizations in the city. Kudos RCC!! But from the look of things, it seems the committee will have little or no work to do.

I know that tempers flare when the issue of respect for the Ga Traditional Council and Gas in general comes up for discussion, but do we as Gas, have any cause to complain? I have written in this column before that we could have a better image as a state than what obtains now. However, this can only happen if we embark on a serious image building exercise. This is because as it is now a very big gap exists between Gas and the word 'respect'. I am a Ga from Osu Alata and I can say for a fact that we don't command any respect from the other tribes. Let a Ga try marrying from another tribe and you will hear the kind of comments that will come from members of the other family.

It is my personal conviction that respect is earned. I find it hard to believe that an acting Ga Mantse has not been named to take on the functions of the ailing Ga Mantse. Nii Kolai Amontia II who was acting, died last year. An executive member of the Ga-Adangme Society has explained that the Sempe Mantse, Nii Adote Obuor II, in his position as the acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, has been assigned the duties of the Ga Mantse. Well, what I want to see is a substantive and appropriately installed Ga Mantse.

Why do we blame a stranger for not following tradition when the traditional process that has to be followed is not in place? One may say that what resulted in the postponement of the launch of the Otumfuo Education Fund was a way of announcing to the whole world that we are a force to reckon with but then, I believe sincerely that the timing was unfortunate. If it is respect and recognition we want, let's do our things well and the respect would come by itself.

Copyright © 2002 The Dispatch. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media


Drum Wars News 11

Church Return 'Fire' in Drums War

http://allafrica.com/stories/200105140691.html Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) May 14, 2001 Posted to the web May 14, 2001

Accra

Christ Apostolic Church, the oldest and possibly the biggest Pentecostal church and another Charismatic church, El-Shaddai, yesterday became the first victims of the recurring problem of the ban on drumming by traditional groups in Accra.

Militant youth stormed the CAC church building while service was going on and resorted to smashing up the place, destroying glass windows in the just re-habilitated multi million cedi Osu headquarters branch of the church.

Eyewitness accounts noted the absence of enthusiasm from policemen at the site, already under pressure for their role in the ill-fated stadium disaster. They were alleged to have failed to restrain the youth from entering the church premises.

Dramatically, the assailants met with fierce resistance from church members who refused to lie down and be trampled on. They returned the violent confrontation with equal zeal and a number of people sustained injuries.

The General Secretary of the church Rev. Annor-Yeboah later appealed for a long lasting solution to what has now become an annual ritual of tensions and anxieties over the right to worship in peace in Accra.

Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, Overseer of the International Bible Worship Centre (IBWC) had earlier cautioned that the authorities should be particularly vigilant and proactive this month since the period of agitation for ban on 'noisemaking' (drumming and singing) had dawned again.

He appealed to The Chronicle to alert the law enforcement agencies and to impress upon the authorities that it was imperative that a lasting resolution to the problem should be finally and firmly nailed. Some of the Christian groups are growing restless and the mood to adopt a more militant resistance stance is gaining ground and they constitute a huge force with superior numerical advantage.

The CAC resistance may be a signal to other churches to stand up to what they may consider the bullying ways of the traditionalists, but pressure on the authorities may be greater. Last year's inquiries over similar disturbances when Lighthouse Church International was attacked yielded no known resolution.

Copyright © 2002 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media


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The Drum War Growing Our Institutions 010516 The Drum War Growing Our Institutions (editorial) Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) EDITORIAL May 16, 2001 Posted to the web May 16, 2001 Accra

Between 1970 and 1980 when armed robbers in certain parts of Accra - Lashibi, Ashaiman and Kumasi - were terrorising innocent communities and inflicting violence on affluent local and expatriate business people, the youth of La and Teshie resolved to handle the matter at the peril of their lives. With the moral support of the community and traditional leaders, they succeeded in licking, one by one, all known armed robbers among them.

By the early part of the 1980s, they had found peace not only for themselves and for the town, but also the affluent middle class who tend to fall prey to these hardened criminals. Is the Chronicle advocating instant justice or violence? Not by any means! The ability and record of our traditional institutions to resolve conflicts over the years cannot be questioned.

From marital issues to inheritance and land disputes, our communal leaders and traditionalists have demonstrated a stunning sense of wisdom, circumspection and objectivity. All these capabilities are underpinned by their conviction that for a society to develop and enjoy peace and stability, certain rules and norms must apply.

This thinking, we believe, is also shared by the Christians. Churches which, today, seem at war with the traditionlists, have also represented a force for social change and national development.

They have provided infrastructure, such as schools, health centres and vocational institutions for communities all across the country. They are an inextricable part of the community.

Pastors give birth to traditionalists and traditionalists give birth to pastors. From the point of view of politics, each institution constitutes quite an indispensable force in terms of the ballot.

Perhaps, that is why political authority in Ghana has consistently vacillated in decisively confronting this nagging issue. The Chronicle is aware of a ten- year-old writ filed by a church praying the courts to perpetually restrain traditionalists from interfering with their worship services.

For us, the issue is not who is right or wrong; it is not even whether traditionalists have a moral, legal or constitutional right to take the law into their own hands. The issue is

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simple: What does the law say? Who has the right to apply sanctions or punish the guilty? And what are the forms and level of punishment? Playing politics each year with the lives of people who pay all kinds of taxes to provide comfort for the public official is costly in every way.

For now, both the churches and traditionalists have failed to reach a lasting compromise. All over the regions, festivals are going to be celebrated between now and October.

Can the nation afford another tragedy before we sit up? For far too long, our institutions of law and order have remained static, stagnant and lethargic. Shouldn't we allow them to work since the law is greater than churches, traditionalists and even the Executive?

Copyright © 2004 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by

AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

Drum Wars News 14

Ban On Drumming Confrontation

http://allafrica.com/stories/200105180135.html Accra Mail (Accra) May 18, 2001 Posted to the web May 18, 2001

A.R. Alhassan Accra

The Ga chiefs and Wolomei, the custodians of Ga culture, its heritage and the deities of the land, are extremely angry with Rev. Annor-Yeboah, Acting Chairman of Christ Apostolic Church. They have accused the man of God of pulling a pistol on the Ga youth who stormed his church premises last Sunday to ensure that the ban on drumming was adhered to.

The chiefs had taken their turn at the Greater Accra Regional Administration in the ongoing efforts at resolving the perennial conflict associated with the ban on drumming.

The convenors of the meeting were officials of the Regional Administration, but also present were the National Security Advisor, Gen. Joshua Hamidu, Mr. Francis Poku, the National Security Coordinator and Mr. J.K. Mensah of the Office of the President, underscoring the importance the government attaches to the speedy resolution of the impasse between the charismatic churches and the Ga Traditional Council.

Ordinarily the matter would have been left to the Regional Administration to resolve, but the attempts by mischievous people known to be seriously searching for any opportunity to create chaos was what made them adopt this new approach.

The Nii Sempe, who opened the floor on the part of the chiefs at the meeting, expressed his angst and those of his colleagues at the unacceptable show of disrespect by Rev. Annor-Yeboah who he said had told them to go hell. He said unless an apology is rendered, the chiefs and Ga priests will not sit with the church to discuss the matter. He recalled how in a previous effort to resolve the matter they had problems convincing their subjects and priests about the need for flexibility in the application of the ban.

The James Town Mantse, in his submission recalled that in other parts of the country there are periods when a ban on drumming is imposed to herald an approaching festival and the ban is respected. He asked why in 'Gashikpon' (Ga land) directives from the traditional authorities are flouted. He warned that this time they are going to ensure that nobody violates the order.

The Nii Wulomo (chief priest) explained that the ban is a practice, which traces its roots to Biblical days and must be respected.

Nii Sakumo, the priest who made the disclosure about Rev. Annor-Yeboah's pistol was perhaps the most angry among the custodians of the Ga culture. He said he did not understand why the man who pulled a pistol is walking a free man but the Ga youth who only showed up at the church to enforce the ban are still being held by the Police. He warned that the traditional authorities were going to monitor the enforcement of the ban

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to the letter. He added that they would not sit down with the religious bodies as arranged by the government peace-brokers.

Gen. Hamidu could not understand Ga but gauged the degree of anger and the message inherent in the outburst and body language of the chiefs. He cautioned them to take interest in the stability of the nation, explaining how inflamed passions can lead to a major crisis. He pleaded with them to ensure that peace prevails in the country.

Gen. Hamidu apologised to the chiefs about the delay in releasing the suspects in the Sunday clash, which he attributed to the sometimes rather slow working of the security system. This he said is to ensure the truth is found.

The Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, when it was his turn to chip in his word showed that he was on his own turf. His use of the Ga language and his persuasion skill did the magic. He asked them whether they would want confusion to reign in the land, to which they answered in the negative. He begged for peace until it was visible that he was getting there. He even told them that Rev. Annor-Yeboah had retracted his statement and added that when they feel peeved about something as in the case of the detained youth the authorities should be informed so action can be taken to find out the justifiability of the detention. He told them that in the earlier meeting with the religious bodies they had expressed their disapproval of provocative statements especially as was attributed to Rev. Annor-Yeboah.

At the end of the session even though it was not clear whether the chiefs had rescinded their decision not to sit with the religious bodies it was clear that another step had been taken towards an amicable settlement of the impasse. The traditional rulers and the priests could be seen exchanging pleasantries with the government team.

As to the accusation against Rev. Annor-Yeboah, if it is veracious then it is yet another fall-out from the uncontrolled ownership of firearms, which the NPP government inherited, and there is every indication that the pastor would have a chat with the Police to find out if the pistol is licensed.

Copyright © 2002 Accra Mail. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media


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The Traditional Scare, Who Enforces the Law?

http://allafrica.com/stories/200105230131.html Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) EDITORIAL May 22, 2001 Posted to the web May 23, 2001

Accra

The "drum war" currently raging in the Ga traditional area between traditionalists and Christians is fast becoming a festering sore which will need a painful therapy to prevent it from becoming cancerous. We seem to have forgotten so soon that it took only a seemingly innocuous act of vandalism to trigger the Black Wednesday tragedy that took 126 lives.

The Chronicle had hoped that the diplomatic stance taken by government to get the nation's security chiefs to dialogue with the two factions would result in a healthy compromise. A week later, the nation had been proved wrong, and disregard for the supreme laws of the land is manifesting itself in elements of the traditionalists, arrogating to themselves the role of the legislature, judiciary and executive in one terrible lump.

For now, our traditionalist brothers seem to be establishing the ground rules, interpreting as well as enforcing the laws. In spite of government's admonitions and warnings, criminal acts of forcible entry, assault, vandalism and robbery is being committed by traditionalists and their agents in the name of enforcing a ban.

Students of law know that for a law to be credible and beneficial to society, a major ingredient in it must be clarity and certainty. Unfortunately for most of us, we hardly seem to know whether the ban is on drumming or noise-making in general or both; whether it should affect students or lecturers in the School of Performing Arts at Legon and the Kotoka International Airport where planes take off and land by the minute; or whether the protocol staff at the Castle, when they receive foreign dignitaries with accompaniments of music and drumming.

What the Chronicle finds undebatable and worrying, however, is the fact that people forcibly enter other people's premises, assault and rob them, commit acts of vandalism and get away with it. Ghana has countless tribes and cultures.

In one of the villages in the Akuapem area, a couple of years ago, traditionalists decreed that women in their "periods" should not be allowed in the village until a week or so after they have become "normal". Teachers and nurses, especially, were naturally affected, creating a general outcry and outrage.

In the end, the law, because it failed to serve the larger interests of the community, became ineffectual and moribund. The Chronicle would therefore appeal to our traditional authorities to begin to modify some of our cultural practices which tend to drive a wedge between us and other citizens of different cultures so that we can co-exist and work together to build our country.

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After all, we are Ghanaians, first and foremost. It is well known that during the Odwira, for example, it is a taboo for anybody to pound fufu.

For those Akans who love their fufu and can not do without it, they did their best to move their mortars and pestles indoors and were able to enjoy their fufu without any trouble. Yes, we have every right to love our culture and even willing to die for it, but it must not be at the expense of another man's blood and national peace and security.

Copyright © 2002 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media


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Why Some Gas Are Angry

http://allafrica.com/stories/200105290394.html Public Agenda (Accra) OPINION May 29, 2001 Posted to the web May 29, 2001

John Yarney & George Koomson Accra

Behind the recent clashes between Ga traditionalists and some Christian churches over the traditionalists' ban on drumming and noisemaking are expressions of social frustrations and some politics, according to some researchers familiar with the issue.

"This (controversy) is really a diversion of the real and genuine grievance Gas might have," says Professor Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Development.

Professor Gyimah -Boadi and some individuals Public Agenda spoke to, identified land as a fundamental issue that has fuelled this problem.

"It is clear they have suffered a grievous alienation of their lands, [ ] they have suffered encroachment from government and from private developers with or without the support of government," Professor Gyimah Boadi said. "There are genuine equity claims Gas can make against government and some individual Ghanaians."

The issue of how to ensure that hosting the capital does not cost the Gas too heavily has come up sporadically in various forums. It is sometimes at the root of clashes over some plots of the land in the capital. It has also pitted some indigenous people of the city against others, especially on issues of land sales in the capital.

There should have been arrangement [ ] for a progressive rent payment so that when times change the original owners can benefit, says Professor Mike Oquaye, a Consultant on Governance and Conflict Studies. Oquaye is also a member of the Permanent Commission for the Resolution and Prevention of Conflicts in Greater Accra, a Commission set up to deal with conflicts in the Greater Accra Region.

Ideas like Oquaye's have been floated about for some time but there is still no generally agreed upon method through which this can be done; how to agree on who done; how to agree on who constitute original owners and how any compensation would therefore be shared. There are also worries about whether such a scheme would not lead to copycat demands from other groups in the country.

Last year, some members of some Ga communities in La began a campaign to recover what they say is their land, which has been encroached upon illegally. The campaign came on the heels of demonstrations and press statements to protest the "encroachments."

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In January this year, the La youth association marched to Medina and put up signboards at areas under development, warning encroachers to stay away.

La indigenes point to the fact that both colonial and successive post-independent governments have acquired most of their land for development leaving no room for expansion.

But officials of the Land Commission also argue that some past efforts to compensate landowners in Accra failed because several claimants presented themselves leading to prolonged legal battle.

Whatever the case, the situation of the Gas also has its good sides. Oquaye and Gyimah-Boadi say the Ga people should not only count the cost of cosmopolitanism, they should also appreciate the benefits.

"It is [ ] unfair for Gas to accept benefits with having their territory as site for commercial capital of Ghana and reject the cost," Gyimah Boadi says.

But aside the issue of land, Prof. Oquaye says he has reason to believe that there are political undertones to the current conflict between some Gas and some churches.

"Last year there was cooperation between the Regional Administration, the Regional Minister and these very traditionalists," he said, "then a new government comes in and says, we are going to look at this matter. Let every one bring his case, then you tell people, don't go," he charged.

He said he was aware some people asked others not to respond to the invitation of the Permanent Commission, set up by the current government to help keep the conflict in check.

Oquaye accused some opinion leaders of telling people to go on demonstration and organising young men to go and break bottles. He said the government is naturally worried as to whether it is talking about their rights or politics.

"A mixture of issues is a very bad thing at any given time; people must identify the issues and address only the issues," he said.

"Let us know, if you want to talk about inequity of land ownership [...] bring it on a genuine national agenda in a peaceful manner."

He said the traditionalists must make sure they do not tolerate infiltrators or give room for people who would manipulate same for their traditionalists agenda."

But the immediate and remote causes of the current tension can be minimised, said Professor Gyimah- Boadi.

First of all he suggests that the traditionalists should use normal democratic means to address their desire to have their customs respected

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Secondly, he says the city authorities should have a noise abatement law, which is credible and enforceable. He says the one in the books now is not clear on measurable decibels and zoning of noise.

Finally, he said, there should also be a mechanism for resolving land rights and the land alienation problems that the Gas have suffered.

Copyright © 2002 Public Agenda. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media


Noisy Churches 010611 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/124/42.0.html Weblog Home > Christianity Today Magazine > Weblog Christianity Today, Week of June 11 2001

Pastor defiant over noisy church | Albert Olorunleye, pastor of Christ Apostolic Church in east London, was found guilty of breaching noise regulations and ordered him to pay fines of up to £11,000. (Evening Standard, London)

The ban on drumming | The Bible enjoins us to "Praise him upon the loud cymbals" (Tony Korsah-Dick, The Accra Mail, Ghana)

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The Ban On Drumming

http://allafrica.com/stories/200106120025.html Accra Mail (Accra) OPINION June 12, 2001 Posted to the web June 12, 2001

Tony Korsah-Dick

I listened with keen interest to Mr. K. B. Asante on David Ampofo's "Hot Issues" show the other day as he sought to explain the rationale and demands of the ban on drumming in Accra. As usual, Mr. Asante was encyclopaedic in his representations; he was also fervent in his advocacy for accommodation in the search for the settlement that we all seek in the matter. If he spoke with authority as President of the Ga/Adangbe Council, he was also keen to establish his credentials as a Christian.

In striking this balance, however, Mr. Asante not only let it be known that he was a member of the Anglican Synod; he was also inclined to wonder whether drumming was an essential part of Christian worship. I find this point of view rather argumentative and questionable in its intent. Even though I am not a liturgist, I think I need only quote a verse or two from the Bible to illustrate the point of my concern.

As a ranking member of the Anglican Church, Mr. Asante is doubtless, only too familiar with the force of Psalm 150 and what it enjoins us to do in the praise and worship of God. This is one Psalm that we stand to sing in Church in remarkable contrast to all the other Psalms, which we normally sing, sitting. In verses 3 through to 5, the Psalm enjoins us to:

Praise (God) with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Praise him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Praise him upon the loud cymbals;

Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

We all know what the trumpet is. The timbrel, according to the dictionary, is a tambourine or a small drum; and the cymbal is a conclave plate of brass, which produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck. These were the instruments in King David's day; significantly, they are also instruments of music which are loud in the sound they make. Now, if we are enjoined by this most powerful Psalm to praise God with the instruments mentioned, is it in order, for whatever reason, to remove drumming from the equation as it were to the extent of casting doubt on the essence of what otherwise is a clear and unambiguous biblical injunction.

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Considering the stress in the Psalm on high sounding music, do we not sometimes even wonder what King David would have prescribed if our big fontomfrom drums had been available in his day! We only have to remember Kofi Ghanaba's rendition of the Halleluya Chorus on his mighty drums to appreciate the potential and attraction of drums in the praise and worship of God. Even though I cannot speak with any authority on the beginnings of Charismaticism, there is also, it seems to me, no gainsaying the fact of the hold of drumming in our Christian worship today.

We may, indeed, have to check excessive noise making in the circumstances of a metropolis such as Accra but that is different from the subjective denial of what is essential in a religious matter.

Admittedly, we need to honour and observe our customs, which have held us together as a people; these cannot be readily abandoned especially where they have stood the test of time. By the same token, however, we cannot wish away or even overlook the demands of religion where they constitute the essence of our obligations in the worship of God.

In confronting the issue of the ban on drumming, therefore, we need to bring out all the facts fully into the open in order to ensure that we have an informed and healthy debate; we need to avoid prejudicial and unsupported opinions that tend to generate more heat than light; and we need to ensure that our contribution is based on facts and not on subjective considerations that may come back to haunt us.

The issues to consider, it seems to me, are fairly clear even if they do not readily lend themselves to dialogue and compromise. When the traditionalists invoke the ban on drumming and noise making what precisely is the essence of their demand beyond which they cannot yield. Similarly, when Christians (and shall we add Muslims and others) speak of their constitutional rights and freedom of worship to what extent are they prepared to be accommodating in the defence of their rights and freedoms. How do we in a cosmopolitan metropolis such as ours, promote the kind of modus videndi that must per force prevail in the interest of the peace and security that we all seek.

Happily, the dialogue has already begun and we can only continue it with renewed seriousness and commitment to the cause, since it will confront us again next year. Happily again, we also have the elements for a settlement in the AMA bye-laws on the abatement of noise in the metropolis. To my knowledge, these bye-laws have been enforced before in the case of noise making at nightclubs. If the issues are rather more complex in the circumstances of the churches, we need, even more urgently to pursue the dialogue; let us also update the bye-laws as may be necessary to ensure that we have the capacity and the capability to restore the peace once the understanding and accommodation required have been achieved.



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Time to Stop Manipulating the Ga State for Political Purposes

http://allafrica.com/stories/200106280429.html The Independent (Accra) COLUMN June 28, 2001 Posted to the web June 28, 2001

Accra

Kofi Thompson temporarily takes over this column due to Kabral's absence from the country The recent confrontations between the so - called traditionalists and a section of the Christian community in Accra, is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the Ga State today.

King Tackie Tawiah must be turning in his grave and screaming his head off at the lack of vision and the backwardness that characterizes the Ga State today.

At a time when other traditional authorities are setting up endowment funds to equip their youth for life in the knowledge - based economy that is sweeping the world, it is sad that the leadership of the Ga Traditional Council have been directing their energies at issues that will place them in conflict with modern society .

In the midst of plenty - some of the most valuable land in Ghana - a large majority of the Ga people live in extreme poverty as modern - day life passes them by.

Perhaps the time has now come for the Ga Traditional Council to think of unlocking some of the value of the vast lands they own for the education and the economic empowerment of the Ga youth in particular and to equip the desperately poor city - centre Ga slum dwellers, with skills that will liberate them from the hopelessness that is a direct result of the crushing poverty they live in.

Rather than venting their spleen on the 'strangers'- who they envy and feel contemptuous of and who they have sold a lot of land to - they should direct their energies to finding imaginative ways of profiting economically from the location of the Ga State, which happens to be the nation's capital and is also the most valuable land in all of Ghana.

Nothing will be gained by hiding behind a so - called tradition that precious few Ga people actually care about or really believe in, in the first place, to raise tension and place the youth of the Ga nation in conflict with the law.

Those Ga intellectuals and politicians - who ought to know better - who are manipulating the youth of the Ga nation for their own political ends, must bow their heads in shame. Let these intellectuals and politicians contribute to the improvement of the material circumstances of their fellow tribesmen and women by using their considerable intellects positively.

The Ga nation needs help, not demagoguery.

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The absurd notion that at a time when humankind is pushing the boundaries of human knowledge in spectacular discoveries in bio - genetics and many other fields of science, the human and constitutional rights of law - abiding Ghanaians should be denied them to enable a 'miracle' bumper harvest from Ga farmers - who produce, apparently with a little silence - induced help from the Ga gods, a fraction of the food that is sold and consumed in Accra - is dangerous and must neither be entertained nor tolerated in a modern nation - state that is also a democracy.

The manipulation of the Ga nation must cease. Development, not a display of violence, is what the Ga people need and want.

In case the traditionalists are not aware, it is not the gods of the Ga nation who are responsible for the plentiful food we see in the markets of Accra.

It is produced by farmers in the North, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western and Volta regions.

It is bought and transported to Accra by hard - working market women who make the perilous journey in the open backs of KIA trucks at midnight and in the small hours of the morning, on a daily basis, three hundred and sixty - five days a year.

No Ga god is involved in any of the enterprise that produces and transports food from the hinterland for sale in Accra. Let us not forget that once upon a time the Roman Catholic Church used to execute people for saying the world was round not flat.

Playing drums in church is not going to harm any Ga god. Surely they are made of sterner stuff? The traditionalists are living in cloud - cuckoo - land. It is time they woke up to the realities of life in the modern world.



Drum Wars News 25

Crack Down On Noisemakers 020315 http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200203150637.html

Crack Down On Noisemakers Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) NEWS March 15, 2002 Posted to the web March 15, 2002 By Othello B Garblah & Rebecca Dealtry.

Smarting under extreme criticism from the public domain, for not doing much to decongest the City of Accra and improve the sanitation situation in the country, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive, Hon. Solomon Darko, took a swift turn when he told newsmen that his outfit has embark on plans to enforce the laws abating noise-making in the city and cracking down on street hawkers.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Hon Darko intimated that the Assembly has initiated a move to put in place a task force that would ensure that this law is being respected throughout the City of Accra.

As part of the measure, he said, the task force would be empowered to go round the city after 11:00 pm with instruments to measure noise and arrest any one or group of people found breaching the law to be arraigned before court.

Making specific reference to activities of churches within the metropolis, the Accra Major expressed regret on how fast people have established churches, drinking bars, and other forms of entertainment spots in the residential areas and closing as far as 3:00 am the next day.

The 1955 law abating noise in the city, prohibits an individual or group of individuals conducting religious service(s) not to play or cause music to be played so loudly as to cause nuisance to the public or residents in the area.

It goes on to state that no proprietor or person in charge of a nightclub, restaurant or drinking bar or entertainment spot shall play music to the extent that it would cause nuisance to the public or residents in the area.

The move by the AMA to enforce the law on noise-making and ban on drumming has come at the time Parliament is considering the enforcement of the law prohibiting these and at the same time when the traditionalists are again preparing to impose the ban on drumming and noise-making.

On the issue of clearing the streets of hawkers, Darko, pointed out that the Assembly has taken steps to ensure that hawkers are off the pavements and returned to the market.

Drum Wars News 26

He said the AMA is creating an enabling environment wherein the street hawkers would secure their rightful places.

To this end, he indicated that there are meetings and negotiations on-going between the AMA and stakeholders to see how best the issue can be addressed.

Darko believed that when this is done, the incident of public defecation, use of pan latrines, over-reliance on public toilets, indiscriminate waste disposal and the general insanitary conditions in the city would be things of the past.

The incident of street children and unemployment will reduce drastically.

In a related development, a last minute attempt by the Assembly to scratch out from the conference agenda the recent spate of clamping and towing of cars when in effect the AMA has not provided parking lots for car owners was met with poor explanation, when reporters questioned the authority to give reasons for the action.

Other issues that came up was whether the 24-hour RAMMS Service Company was actually paying VAT, because it has been issuing two receipts without indications of VAT. Meanwhile, the subject was tabled for the next briefing.



Drum Wars News 27

The Plot 020403 http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200204020654.html

The Plot Accra Mail (Accra) EDITORIAL April 3, 2002 Posted to the web April 2, 2002

Is there a concerted effort to undermine the government of President Kufuor?

The President himself would this weekend be toasting his youngest son, Kofi, when he takes a bride. The wedding had been fixed months in advance and would be a private affair. Since news of the wedding hit the social grapevine, many socialites have been jostling for invitations, but a source close to the presidency said, both families, the groom's and bride's wanted it to be as normal as any wedding in town. That notwithstanding, gatecrashers are not being ruled out!

Meanwhile, the President would probably undergo his toughest test this year when a combination of some man made and accidental events would expose the soft underbelly of his young government. The Accra Daily Mail has been piecing a few leads together and an image is beginning to appear.

The image that has appeared so far points to a situation of "There's no smoke without fire." In other words the Kufuor administration is being put through a severe test, which could be used to undermine its effectiveness completely.

Four areas have been identified: National Security, PR, surprise, surprise, The Spiritual and Force Majeur.

National Security

The Yendi crisis is the highest expression of this so far and more could be ahead. The ban on drumming in the Ga traditional areas, which is expected to be in force in June, is another potentially destabilising security problem. The traditionalists and the Christians, especially the Charismatic Churches are set for a showdown, which may involve firearms. Already, some Accra FM stations are encouraging highly provocative and impassioned call ins on the subject. The issue of the supremacy of the constitution and the freedom of worship would come under great strain.

PR

When we sent feelers to our US sources on how the government was being perceived after only 1 year 3 months in office, we got the following response:

Drum Wars News 28

"Already, the NDC has hired a PR firm to begin work in creating the impression that the government is made up a group of bumbling fools who cannot get things right and who are not going to be able to manage things at home, and especially the West Africa Region with all is problems, as well as Jerry Rawlings did. This whole move about getting Nana [Akufo-Addo] to the Foreign Ministry feeds into it. If Nana is seen as unable to handle the Ministry of Justice and AG's Office, and given the volatility in West Africa, Kufuor is coerced into moving him to that portfolio, it will show Kufuor himself in a negative light, after the stature he has already built in the sub-region, and the government's adversaries will point to the incompetence of Ghana in managing such a volatile sub-region.

Unless the government gets its PR job together, the NDC plan of continuous whining and making the government look bad in the political game might well succeed."

The Spiritual

Many people would no doubt scoff at this dimension in modern governance, but it is a factor that many Africans believe and rely on. An unwilling source (requested strict anonymity) has suggested to The Accra Daily Mail that the Kufuor Administration may be undermined by all manner of spiritual activities like juju, mallams and acts of the occult aimed at it. He said the Kufuor Administration would ignore it to its own detriment. He said they want this civilian government to be halted just as the 2nd and 3rd Republics were halted just two years in their administration. It is for the Kufuor administration to counter this by constant prayer and the President himself to work hard and beat this jinx as he did in 2000 by winning the elections the first time in Ghana's history that an elected government had been changed through elections.

Force Majeur

This is when a superior force is at play as happens in natural disasters.

Though some work has been done on the Accra drainage system, more flooding is expected in the national capital this year.

All these factors could play a significant role in the breaking of the 2½ year jinx that bedevilled the Second and Third Republics.

Copyright © 2004 Accra Mail. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global

Media (allAfrica.com).

Drum Wars News 29

Avoid confrontation over ban on drumming 020405 http://www.mclglobal.com/History/Apr2002/05d2002/05d2r.html#b Avoid confrontation over ban on drumming Accra (Greater Accra) 05 April 2002 - President John Kufuor has called on the leadership of the Pentecostal and charismatic churches and traditionalists in the Ga Traditional Area to exercise restraint to avoid any form of confrontation over the ban on drumming and noise-making in the area. He said the government has already initiated discussions with the chiefs in the Ga area with the view to achieving a peaceful resolution of the impasse, which has become a matter of concern to the nation since 1999. The President was speaking to the hierarchy of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, which called on him at the Castle, Osu, on Wednesday. He reminded the two parties that in a civil society, tolerance should be the most valued attribute for the resolution of any misunderstanding. “When we are operating in a civil society, we should remember that in any misunderstanding, it is always better to adopt the give-and-take attitude towards the resolution of such misunderstanding,” he said. The President declared: “As Christians, you will be the first to admit that God does not want any clash on this matter and, therefore, I urge you to exercise the utmost restraint.” Referring to the Yendi crisis, the President said what has happened shows that greed and self-centredness are at work in the area. He said the government has put the security network firmly on the ground in the Dagbon area and added that “we will deal with anybody who will want to take undue advantage of the situation to create more confusion.” He, however, appealed to the leadership of the church to pray unceasingly for God’s intervention in the resolution of the crisis. The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Gladys Asmah, expressed concern about the indiscipline among the youth of the country and urged the church to mount a crusade to educate the young ones on the need to cultivate good virtues of life. “The youth of the country, for the past 20 years saw nothing but violence and this is ingrained on their minds”, she said. She, therefore, urged the church to try and change the minds of the youth, “else we do not know what will happen in the future.” She, however, said “with God on our side, there is no misunderstanding we cannot solve.” Pastor Mensah Otabil, the Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), said Ghana “needs peace because destabilisation makes development impossible.” He said when religion and ethnicity come into play, the situation becomes very difficult to handle. He said although the church respects the beliefs of traditionalists, it may not necessarily share fully in such beliefs.

Drum Wars News 30

He, therefore, wondered why since 1999, some churches have been desecrated by a section of the followers of traditionalists yet no action had been taken against such people. “No church has yet reacted to the matter, because we have tried to comport ourselves. We are for peace and we always pray for peace,” he said. The chairman of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, Apostle Dr Kwabena Ntumy, assured President Kufuor that “our hearts are with you and the nation in these trying moments.” He, however, expressed the deepest condolence to the family of those who lost their lives in the Yendi conflict, adding that, “what has happened is a source of worry to all of us.” He commended the government for its determination to fight corruption and serial killing in the country. “The fight against corruption and serial killing is succeeding and we, as religious leaders, are firmly behind the government in this effort,” he said. He suggested that the report of the Parliamentary Committee appointed to investigate the misunderstanding between Pentecostal churches and the traditional rulers should be published to settle the issue. “I pray that indiscipline which seems to be engulfing the country will not spill over into the religious sphere,” Apostle Ntumy said. His Grace Panteleimon Lampadarios, the Bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in Ghana, also called on President Kufuor to hold discussions with him on wide-ranging issues including the Yendi conflict. He prayed that God will grant President Kufuor the wisdom to overcome the problem and to lead the people to attain progress and prosperity. Responding, the President said the country is of late, experiencing a lot of destabilisation through armed robberies, indiscipline in schools and the lack of tolerance. “These are not good signs for development and the government will ensure that law and order is maintained,” he said. – Daily Graphic Send your comments to [email protected]

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Impending Ban On Drumming Ga Traditional Council Warns CAC 020405 http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200204050210.html

Impending Ban On Drumming, Ga Traditional Council Warns CAC Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) NEWS April 5, 2002 Posted to the web April 5, 2002 By Isaac Homeku

... hints at bloodshed

The Ga Traditional Council (GTC) has warned that it would engage the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in a bloody fight if the church goes on with its intention to have some Ga youth imprisoned.

According to Reverend Odonkor, who is Regent to the Teshie stool, the CAC is using every foul means to influence the court's decision to have the Ga youth, who were arrested last year during the clash between some traditionalists and the CAC when the church allegedly violated the annual ban on drumming.

Reverend Odonkor gave the threat when members of the GTC met with the Greater Accra Coordinating Council behind camera in Accra.

The meeting was not open to press, but Chronicle sources that were present hinted this reporter about events.

Later after the meeting, Reverend Odonkor confirmed in an interview that seven Ga youth were arrested during the melee and that the case has been adjourned to April 10, this year.

When asked about his threat, he said in fact they would not sit down for their children to be wrongly jailed.

Just after meeting with members of the GTC, the Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, held a press confrence and explained that the meeting was part of efforts by Government to ensure a violent-free society during the annual ban on drumming of the Ga traditional area.

An earlier meeting was held with the religious bodies.

According to Sheik Ibrahim C. Quaye, a five-member committee known as the Greater Accra Permanent Conflict Resolution and Management Committee has been put in place and has been working since April last year.

Drum Wars News 32

The committee, he said, comprises Professor Mike Oquaye, Her Lordship Hon. Justice Ivy Ashong-Yakubu, Mr. Kofi Brapui Asante., Dr. E.O.T Prempeh and Hon. George Isaac Amoo.

He said the committee deals with all conflicts bordering on Chieftaincy, land, religion and customary practices in the region.

"Our aim is to tackle the problem of conflict management and resolution on a permanent basis by building bridges and linkages," he stressed.

Touching on noise nuisance that has become the bane of some citizens, the Regional Minister said to normalize the situation, the police have now decided to enforce the existing laws and AMA regulations, in co-operation with officers of AMA.

He said the committee has, against this background, decided that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the police, National Commission on Civic Education and the Environmental Protection Agency should embark on an education campaign before vigorous action is taken to enforce the existing laws and regulations.

He explained that after series of discussion with the permanent committee they came to a conclusion that the imposition of restrictions on the normal rights of citizens was not restricted to the Ga Traditional area, adding that it has assumed national proportions because Accra is the capital and has become home to many who are not Gas.

Dr. K.K. Manfo, Regional Police commander, who was present, explained unambiguously that "there are some problems you can't control like disturbances at the stadium" but stressed that the police would enforce the law during the ban on drumming.

Pestered with further questions from curious journalists, he said he did not foresee a situation where traditionalists will go to the stadium and create a scene in their attempt to control noise, stressing that in case they do that the police will prevent them because as much as they would want their custom respected, they are not law enforcers.

"There's a monitoring team that will do that," he said, and added rather cautiously that "you can't stop people from jubilating if their team should win a football match."

The Regional Minister buttressed Dr. Marfo's statement by adding that the traditional authorities have agreed not to enforce the law themselves, bearing in mind that some rogue elements would take advantage and misbehave.



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Land Matters And The Ban on Noise Making

http://allafrica.com/stories/200205080714.html Accra Mail (Accra) EDITORIAL May 8, 2002 Posted to the web May 8, 2002

Our front-page story touches on land management and the fact that there are numerous litigations in the law courts because of the greed and dishonesty of some landowners who sell their land over and over to unsuspecting buyers. There is the need for a stable environment for the land administrators to operate in, so that they can check the fraud in the system.

The Accra Daily Mail takes issues relating to land very seriously because land is very important to investors. If they are not sure of a stable land system they will not come in to invest.

We therefore hope the petition of workers of the Lands Commission will receive attention and quick resolution so that there will be no loopholes for unscrupulous people to exploit.

Land matters also bring to mind the one-month ban on noise making which has been announced by the Ga Dangme Council.

Let's remember that there are AMA by-laws on abatement of noise, and a task force established to enforce these by-laws. The law enforcement agencies are also there to check any infringements or perceived infringements of the ban. In other words, let's not take the law into our own hands to correct those who breach the ban.

We ask for God's blessings within this period to help us tolerate one another.



Drum Wars News 34

Churches Asked to Respect Ban On Noisemaking 030507 http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200305060646.html Churches Asked to Respect Ban On Noisemaking Accra Mail (Accra) NEWS May 7, 2003 Posted to the web May 6, 2003 Accra

The Greater Accra Regional Co-Ordinating Council has called on religious leaders and traditional authorities to restrain their followers from making derogatory and inflammatory statements against each other to ensure an uneventful ban on drumming.

This was contained in a press release after a meeting between the Council, the Permanent Conflict Resolution and Management Committee, Religious leaders and the Ga Traditional Council recently.

The release which was signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Gabriel Aryee, called on churches to comply with the stipulated noise decibels.

It also advised persons to refrain from taking the law into their own hands by entering church premises to enforce the laws on noisemaking since such acts are against the law.

"The positioning of loud speakers outside church premises should be discouraged. This applies equally to all sections of other communities within the Greater Accra Region," the statement said. The statement said all problems related to the ban should be reported to the Joint Task Force on Noise Control of the AMA or the police. The Task Force it said could be reached on 662441and 666859.

The statement said planning authorities should make a thorough check of where churches and mosques would be located before granting licences and permits.

Copyright © 2004 Accra Mail. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global

Media (allAfrica.com).

Drum Wars News 35

Ghana Has Gone Gospel

www.ghanaweb.com: Feature Article of Friday, 20 February 2004

Eyo Osagyefo,

Yesterday is gone, another day has come, do something new in my life…. This is a song by Elder Collins Amponsah. Elder? When did we start addressing peeps with titles like Elder? Hmm, this world seems to be passing me by. Crusade! Crusade! Crusade! For the third time in thirty minutes, the commercial for the Apostolic Crusade at Kumasi Jackson Park is aired on TV. To me, it is a normal thing on GTV these days. Others find it interesting, Efo Kwakuvi finds it compelling, Araba Tetteh is itching to go to the crusade and John Brown is making fun of it. John can't understand why a crusade should be held in the first place lest have it advertised on TV. Some may side with John, others won't. It's 'babahazing' (amazing) to me this should be happening in the first place. (C'mon, new words are created day in day out and I am no exception) Osagyefo, Ghana has gone gospel. Conventions, crusades and revivals are part and parcel of the lives of the Ghanaian masses and it is not a mistake it is getting airtime. People have resorted to attending these as getaways for the weekend. Sometimes, on the weekdays, it robs the nation of productive working hours. Productive working hours? Maybe not. The whole notion of late to work, early to leave is found in the average person, from the MP of Hweebonto (credit Obrafour) to Salamatu the Kayayoo. Ghana needs prayer. Abedi Pele will tell you so, with the recent troubles facing Ghana football. We have found ways to worship and praise God every Sunday, wear our best attires to enter into the assembly of God, whether food would welcome us home or not. I would expect peeps to be rather stingy considering the HIPC pockets Traveller John and his cohorts have or have not helped maintain when it comes to 'church collection' due to the shallow pockets we have, but we find ways to make sure Kwasi beats out Kwaku for Kofi and Ama. If there is anything more interesting, it should be way gospel music sells these days. When more than 5 of the top songs in Ghana are gospel, it drums home a particular message: our countrymen believe in divine power. Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and Obrafour are all dropping gospel tracks and gospel artistes are rapping as well. I am sure I am not the only one who’s been hearing gospel songs at parties and social events these days. For all I hear, the NPP and the NDC are fighting for the rights of Seth Frimpong’s ‘Afe yi ye m’afe’ song, hoping it could spur support like Cyndy Thompson’s ‘Awurade kasa’ did for the NPP in 2000. If you want to search for evidence, drive through a number of streets in the urban areas. 'God will provide Plumbers', 'Jesus saves Sewing Factory', Awurade beye Chop Bar', His love reigns Electronics' are some of the kiosks lining the roads. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. These names are not supposed to sell; they are to show

Drum Wars News 36

gratitude to who the names allude to. Wasn't it a joke when Jake the Fat man said that troskis and trotros would run out of business by 2005? Ghanaians love to express themselves and a lot of trotros go by these kinds of names: 'You Lie, See God', 'Meet the Son, See the Father', 'God dey!', and my favorite, 'No Jesus, No Life. Know Jesus, Know Life'. How can you not be a happy person in Ghana with all these around you? Smile, brothers, for your breakthrough is coming. Ghanaians have become religious for a number of reasons. Ghanaians are a peace-loving people. The Dagbon conflict and crisis did not augur well for the hospitality and understanding we have as a people, but in the midst of the present West African chaos, we can give ourselves an A. HIPC or no HIPC, we find ways to be happy. Ghanaians want to be prosperous and they feel they can find that by going to church. By praying day and night and giving their tithes for the work of God, their prayers would be answered. I can't blame them. We have to be a religious people alright, Osagyefo, but we have to let this show in our characters and personality. How many churches did we have in Ghana in the good ol' days of 1957? We could have counted then. I tried doing that recently, and lost count. Preaching must be a profession now, it pays. Pastors are leading lavish lifestyles, makes our civil servants bow. The greatest works of architecture these days are church buildings. The more pastors preach about prosperity in their sermons, the more Ghanaians will flock to church. The pastors of course care much more about their church infrastructure than their ministry. The stories about pastors in dubious and corrupt acts are very disturbing. How does the Ghanaian succumb so easily to these things? Here, major causes are superstition and illiteracy. It's no surprise scandals have rocked the church 419 style. This is what I find disturbing. It's great and awesome to see the power of the gospel these days. But, it is not reflecting in our development as a nation. There's still a lot of indiscipline, bad work ethics, bad characters and above all, no patriotism. We have to show our religious fervor in our lives. It should be present in our daily lives. 'If you practice what you preach, you'll do everyone a favor.' It starts with the pastors, priests, general overseers, bishops, apostles, prophets, elders, and reverends. They must shift their sermons from prosperity to discipline, morality and nation building. It's beautiful to see the enthusiasm and passion for the gospel but we need to see some love, some character and some holiness in our nation. Sooner than later, we will have to drum this message home, to our beloved. President Kufuor campaigned with a message of ‘Positive Change’. Funny how, we never got the full analysis of that message. To me, ‘Positive change’ encompasses a mentality change, a character change and a personality change. God helps those who help themselves. Times have changed and we as a people must change with the times. It’s beautiful to see the country very much alive on Sunday but we must turn our efforts to hardwork, discipline and a burning desire to see our country move forward. Osagyefo, I hope it wouldn't take long for all of us to figure that out. Yours truly, Maximus Ojah.

Source: Ojah, Maximus

compiled by ter ellingson non-christians condemn …staff.washington.edu/ellingsn/drum wars...

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