News
Institute holiday to celebrate ancestors — Traditionalists urge gov’t
A legal storm is brewing over Ghana’s cultural identity.
Nana Obiri Boahen, a prominent legal practitioner, has vowed to sue the state if a national holiday is not instituted to celebrate the ancestors of the respective traditions in the country.
He insists that the omission is discriminatory, since Christians and Muslims enjoy public holidays while traditional worshippers are denied equal recognition.
“If Parliament will not take the matter up, I will be tempted to go to court,” he declared, stressing that the constitution itself upholds Ghana’s traditions and culture.
Nana Boahen made the call at a spirited programme organised by the National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV).
He lamented that repeated petitions for a national day have gone unanswered, though he expressed hope that the demand will eventually be met.
The programme was on the theme: “Reclaiming Our Ancestral Foundations through a Public Day: Our Heroes, Identity, Unity and the Future of Ghana.”
Painting a vivid contrast between Ghana’s neglect of its own traditions and the reverence shown abroad, Nana Obiri Boahen cited examples of Ghanaians travelling to Jerusalem to pray at a wall while ignoring pilgrimages to Pusigah, the seat of Naa Gbewa.
He also highlighted what he described as the erasure of cultural memory—students in Ahanta unaware of Badu Bonsu, who was beheaded by the Dutch and whose skull was returned in 2009; names like Obuor being discarded for ‘Peter’ at baptism; and the foundational role of Komfo Anokye in the rise of Asanteman.
He insisted that ancestral worship is not merely ritual but a reclamation of identity and dignity long eroded by colonial influence.
“Black people have become victims of atrocities and centuries of systemic brainwashing, but now we have realised the narratives were wrong,” Nana Yaw WI said, explaining that such gatherings are meant to awaken consciousness.
Shekhem Enen Tehuti Men Ab Bonsu, leader of the Ghana branch of the Ausar Auset Society, urged Africans to study traditional religion, insisting that “the power of the black man lies in the religion,” and stressed the importance of honouring the ancestors.
He argued that European systems discouraged such practices precisely because of their potency.
Baffour Asabere Kogyawoasu Ababio III, High Priest at Manhyia Palace and Patron of NATAV, echoed the call, urging Ghanaians to honour those who laid the foundations of civilisation.
Some of the advocates noted that the matter is not just cultural but constitutional, and that the threat of legal action by Nana Obiri Boahen could inject urgency into a debate that blends law, tradition, and identity.
They observed that if Parliament continues to delay, the courts may soon be asked to decide whether ancestral worship deserves its own day on Ghana’s national calendar.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
The National Identification Authority has resumed the Ghana Card registration exercise for children between the ages of 6 and 14 in the Volta and Oti regions.
According to the Authority, the exercise begins on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority.
In a statement issued on May 4, the NIA said the exercise forms part of a nationwide campaign aimed at registering about 3.1 million children to strengthen Ghana’s national identity system.
The Authority explained that the Volta and Oti regions are the first areas selected for the phased national rollout, with each phase expected to last at least 21 days.
Registration teams are expected to move from school to school, covering both public and private institutions, to register eligible children.
The NIA said registration will take place daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
It added that children within the age bracket who are not in school can visit designated schools or registration centres in their communities to register.
According to the Authority, parents or guardians registering a child must present the child’s original birth certificate, valid Ghanaian passport or certificate of acquired citizenship.
Where these documents are unavailable, a parent, relative or legal guardian may complete an Oath of Identity form.
The NIA further explained that in cases where a child has no known relatives, two Social Welfare Officers may vouch for the child under oath.
Parents and guardians who have enrolled their children onto the National Health Insurance Scheme were encouraged to present the child’s NHIS card or number during registration.
The Authority stressed that persons presenting children for registration must be Ghanaian citizens, at least 18 years old, mentally sound and possess a valid Ghana Card.
The NIA also advised children who registered during the 2024 pilot phase but have not yet received their cards to visit their district offices for collection.
The Authority warned that providing false information or assisting in the registration of non-Ghanaians is a criminal offence punishable by law.
It reaffirmed its commitment to building a secure, reliable and inclusive national identity system for all Ghanaians.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Police in the Aburi District arrested 11 suspects for alleged possession of arms and ammunition without authority in connection with the Adambrobe chieftaincy dispute, the Command revealed on Monday.
Ten suspects were arrested on Sunday, May 3, at Adambrobe, Aburi.
Police identified them as Dawu Joseph, a farmer; Kwame Aboagye, a vulcanizer; Samuel Obeng, a taxi driver in Adambrobe; Owusu Paul, a member of the Adambrobe Asekyere family; Jerry John Kwame Atilla, a businessman in Sowutuom; and private security men Evans Dekadzor, Christian Atsu, Samuel Annan, Thomas Davidson, and Richard Agyeman.
The Aburi District Command retrieved five pump-action rifles, 23 live cartridges, one taser, six phones, and one body armor during the operation.
Police also impounded two vehicles used to transport the suspects: an unregistered Ford pickup and a Toyota Corolla with registration number GE 2560-19.
An additional suspect, Douglas Amoako Danquah, was arrested Monday, May 4, after being sighted in a procession within the area, police said.
The arrests are linked to the ongoing chieftaincy dispute in Adambrobe.
Suspects are currently in police custody assisting in investigations.
The Eastern Regional Police Command assured the public of their continued commitment to maintaining peace and stability in Adambrobe and urge all parties to exercise restraint.
