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Take pride in learning Ga customs, they aren’t fetish —Nae Wulomo
The Nae Wulomo of the Ga State, Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III, has urged the youth to take pride in learning and upholding Ga customs and traditions, stressing that it is their identity.
According to him, although they have shown interest, the process has been slow as a result of their involvement in church activities, due to the thinking that these customs and traditions are fetish.
But the Nae Wulomo insisted that, “these customs and traditions are not fetish. It has been with us for ages and our ancestors have kept them sacred before handing over to this generation.”
He said this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last Saturday as the people of Ga Mashie celebrated their Homowo festival.
The festival attracted scores of people from all walks of life to observe the rich culture of the Ga people and other activities lined up as part of the festival.
The Nae Wulomo said it was important for young people to equip themselves with knowledge of the Ga customs and practices so they are not misled or disconnected from their roots.
The Nae Wulomo, who is the Highest Chief Priest of the Ga State, also cautioned the youth against violence and involvement in chieftaincy disputes.
He said many of these young people end up either as victims or perpetrators of crime when they allow themselves to be drawn into such conflicts.
“No girl or boy should be involved in fights or any confusion. If you are not killed, you may kill somebody and the punishment and agony that follow are the same,” he warned.
He decried the growing menace of drug abuse among the youth, describing it as a practice that destroys both the body and the mind.
“Drugs weaken the youth, ruin their appearance, and damage their mental and physical health. We need all young people alive and strong to build the future of our communities and nation,” he cautioned.
Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III also expressed concern about young girls being exploited as juvenile sex workers, appealing to them to pursue education instead.
“My beautiful girls, please stay away from such practices. Return to the classroom and prepare yourselves for a bright future. Education will open the doors to greatness,” he urged.
Turning to the Homowo celebrations, the Nae Wulomo praised the peace and unity experienced in this year’s festival, commending leaders of the communities for resolving some of the issues through dialogue and with the support of the Police and National Security.
“Yes, there were disputes in some areas before Homowo, but they were resolved. With unity and security involvement, everything went on successfully and peacefully,” he indicated.
He concluded with prayers and blessings for the people of Ga State and the nation as a whole.
This year’s Homowo was marked with pomp and pageantry at James Town and other areas of Ga Mashie amid drumming, dancing, chanting and firing of musketry.
Homowo means ‘hooting at hunger’ and also commemorates the triumph of the Ga people over famine during their migration to present day Accra.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Helicopter crash victims laid to rest
The remaining victims of the August 6 helicopter crash were laid to rest at the Military Cemetery at Tse Addo in Accra, following a state funeral at the Black Star Square.
The six included Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Council (NDC), Dr Samuel Sarpong, Deputy Director General of the National Disaster Organisation (NADMO), Samuel Aboagye, and three Ghana Armed Forces officers Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
Two of the victims, who are Muslims, Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Mohammed Muniru Limuna were earlier laid to rest.
The funeral ceremony was attended by the President, John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, the Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and service chiefs.
It was a day of pain and sorrow as tributes poured from widows, children, colleagues, and state officials.
President John Dramani Mahama in his speech hailed the deceased as patriots who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.
- Former President John Agyekum Kufuor (second from right), Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (right), and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin (left) and others
- Former President Akuffo-Addo (fourth from left) and Wife arriving at the Independence Square for the funeral
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
News
UDS student transforms learning in deprived Ashanti community with locally-made school furniture
A student of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Mr Ganiu Salifu Luri, has brought relief and renewed hope to pupils and teachers of Asare Nkwanta, a deprived community in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region, by mobilising residents to manufacture urgently needed school furniture.
Until this intervention, nearly 70 school children in the community endured the discomfort of sitting and lying on the bare floor during lessons, while teachers struggled without desks on which to carry out their work.
The lack of basic learning and teaching resources had long been a barrier to effective education delivery in the community.
Mr Luri, who is serving in Asare Nkwanta as part of the University’s Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), said the situation deeply moved him when he arrived.
Determined to make a difference, he established a community-based initiative named ‘Equip to Excel,’ aimed at mobilising local residents to address the pressing furniture deficit in the school.
Through his foundation, Mr Luri encouraged community members to contribute wood and other materials, after which he personally undertook the carpentry work to produce desks and tables for the school.
His efforts culminated in a formal presentation of the newly manufactured furniture to the school during an assessment visit by his supervisors, including Dr Hardi Shahadu of UDS.
Community elders and school management described the intervention as a game-changer for education in Asare Nkwanta.
“This has solved one of the most urgent challenges in our school. The children can now learn in comfort, and teachers can work more effectively,” an elder remarked during the handing over ceremony.
Asare Nkwanta is one of many underserved communities in the Sekyere Central District, grappling with inadequate infrastructure, limited educational resources, and socioeconomic challenges.
The TTFPP, a flagship component of UDS’academic calendar sends students to such rural and peri-urban areas to live, work, and identify development needs while implementing practical solutions that leave lasting impact.
Mr Luri’s initiative is one of many innovative projects being undertaken by UDS students across Ghana under the TTFPP.
In various communities, these students have addressed issues ranging from sanitation and water supply to health education and skills training with each project tailored to the needs identified in their host communities.
The Vice-Chancellor of UDS has often described the TTFPP as “the University’s most distinctive contribution to Ghana’s development,” combining academic learning with community service to nurture socially responsible graduates while delivering real change at the grassroots.
For Asare Nkwanta, the desks built through the dedication of a young university student now stand as a lasting reminder that with vision, collaboration, and determination, even the most deprived communities can take steps toward educational transformation.
Credit:https:uds.edu.gh/news
